Consumers who fall victim to internet fraudsters that hijack people's computer modems and run up large telephone bills will be reimbursed by Eircom, the telephone company said yesterday.
The firm, which up until now has not automatically covered the cost of "auto-dialler frauds" pledged in advertisements yesterday to refund its customers where it found they had been "innocent victims of the fraud".
Auto-dialling fraud or modem hijacking enables a fraudster to install software on a consumer's machine without their knowledge and change their internet dial-up settings.
The software redirects the dial-up settings to re-route calls through foreign locations. The fraudster can then claim a portion of the cost of this telephone call, which is usually charged at rates of up to €5 per minute.
Eircom said its new policy would enable it to continue to enable voice and data communications to all international destinations, including 13 States that were recently put on a direct dial blacklist by the regulator.
The Commission for Communication Regulation (ComReg) ordered telecoms firms to block direct dial access to the 13 states, which include the Cook and Solomon Islands, for six months unless they agreed to absorb the cost of these types of internet frauds.
