premium charges

[mrrossi]

For the last two months now we have had over 100 calls made on our phone they are automated each lasting for 61 seconds and at certain times of day the numbers a modem as we have tried this
We have got an amstrad emailer we've had it 6 years now but nerver had this problem but this first started when we went on net two months ago ,is this broad band doing this ?

[Ethel]

Broadband does not use your telephone line - but dial up modem does.

Your emailer is dialling up automatically to check for your emails.

While you are suddenly being charged I can only assume is because you have changed your ISP.

[Buenchico]

(2-part post):

Ethel posted while I was composing this and I agree that it may well be your Amstrad emailer. However, I'd already written the following and, in case it's not your Amstrad device, I'll post it anyway. (It won't do any harm to try the suggestions).

It sounds like it's the opposite of broadband. i.e. it's 'dial-up'. Broadband connections can't dial numbers, whereas dial-up ones can. It seems that your PC has a dial-up modem (as well as the broadband one) and it's periodically trying to connect to a premium rate phone number.

You might have 'rogue dialler' software on your PC. See here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/askbruce/articles /security/roguediallers_1.shtml
Use the 'check a number' facility, on the PhonepayPlus (formerly ICSTIS) website, to get details of the number dialled:
http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/consumers/defau lt.asp
Then, if you think that your PC has been hijacked by a rogue dialler, contact PhonepayPlus to report the matter.

[Buenchico]

However (irrespective of how the phone number got onto your PC) the actual program trying to establish a dial-up connection might be one of several 'normal' programs on your PC. In particular, Outlook Express is frequently configured to periodically check for email. If you don't tell it not to use a dial-up connection, it tries to do so. The following paragraph is what every broadband supplier should tell every broadband customer but they frequently forget to do so:

Open Outlook Express. Go to Tools > Options. The 'General' tab will probably be pre-selected. If not, click on it. Where it says 'If my computer is not connected at this time', change the box to read 'Do not connect'. Click 'Apply', then 'OK'

Lastly, ensure that your dial-up modem isn't connected to your phone line. That should be as simple as unplugging a cable at the rear of your PC. Alternatively, you can disable the modem by double-clicking 'Modems' in your Control Panel. Then click on the relevant modem entry to highlight it and click 'Remove'.

Chris

[mrrossi]

Thank you chris and ethel i tried phonepayplus and it was the emailer due to the address given, so the thing has been unplugged thank you
have a merry xmas and a happy new year to you both
ross