A company that sent large numbers of unsolicited text messages to mobile phone users telling them they had won a mystery prize worth £500 has been fined £50,000 by the premium rate services regulator.
Over 200 people complained to ICSTIS after receiving the text message, which urged them to call a £1.50-per-minute premium rate telephone number. Those who made the call discovered, after several minutes, that the mystery prizes were holiday discount vouchers that were subject to various terms and conditions.
In its ruling, ICSTIS slammed Moby Monkey's tactics, which it said seriously breached the code of practice governing premium rate services. ICSTIS was unimpressed that children received the text message, and that some mobile phone users reported receiving it repeatedly -- up to 40 times in one case.
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