A missed call this morning on The Editor’s mobile from an unknown landline number got him curious. Before calling the number Ed plugged it into Google in the name of scientific research. It turns out that, in typical Ed fashion, he is again the last to learn about stuff. The call was from a callback spammer — a practice that has apparently been going on for months. An automated one-ring call is made to your mobile phone in the hope that you will call the number back out of curiosity. A recorded message announces that you have won a prize, claimable by calling a premium rate phone number. Any idiot that actually calls the premium number deserves the financial raping sure to follow, but, in the public interest, here are some confirmed callback spam numbers:

(02) 8219 0500; (02) 8303 8320; (03) 8102 9565; (03) 8558 0556; (03) 8558 1441; (03) 8558 1442; (03) 8558 1443; (03) 8558 1444; (03) 8558 1445; (03) 8558 1446; (03) 8558 1447; (03) 9540 2950; (03) 9540 5101; (03) 9540 5189