HAKOM Warns End Users: Do not conclude contracts for other persons because you will not be able to prevent nor control the costs

PRESS RELEASE

HAKOM received a notification from an operator regarding fraud attempts on the market. The users conclude contracts in their own name, and then they give their SIM card to another person for a certain charge. Such numbers are further used for making the international calls causing high and unwanted costs to the real contractor.

ZAGREB, November 19 2015 – The Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries (HAKOM) received a notification from an operator regarding the presence of a new fraud on the market. In November a number of users signed a subscription contract with the operator and then for a certain monetary compensation the mobile phone and SIM card were handed over to the persons with fraudulent intentions. These persons activated a call forwarding service to the international numbers, as well as conference call services thus enabling parallel international calls. In this way the enormous costs are made to the subscribers who are no longer in the possession of their device and SIM card. These costs are highly exceeding the amount of “the monetary compensation” received in exchange for the concluded contract.

HAKOM warns the end users not to fall for this and similar fraud attempts and not to dispose of their SIM cards to other persons, since this may cause the unwanted costs which will later be impossible to prevent and control.

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For additional information please contact:

Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries (HAKOM)
Roberta Frangeša Mihanovića 9
10110 Zagreb, Croatia
Tel. + 385 (0) 1 700 70 07
Fax + 385 (0)1 700 70 70

Media inquiries can be submitted online using HAKOM’s official website: https://www.hakom.hr/
Registration required.

ABOUT HAKOM: HAKOM (www.hakom.hr) - Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries – ensures preconditions for a fair market competition, stable growth and environment for innovations in the electronic communications and postal services market. HAKOM protects users’ interests and the possibility of choice among various communications and postal services at affordable prices, defines sustainable competitive conditions for operators and service providers under fair conditions for return on investment, and provides support to economic growth, public services and the quality of life in the Republic of Croatia by using modern technologies. HAKOM’ strategic goals are: to promote regulation of the electronic communications and postal services market, to support growth of investments and innovations in the electronic communications and postal services market, to provide efficient use of limited resources, to accelerate the growth of broadband products and services, to provide affordable offers of communications and postal services, to provide protection and informing of users, to build an efficient and comprehensive information system, to define and implement efficient processes, and to acquire multi-disciplinary competencies in market regulation.