Nuisance calls bombard Japanese mobile phone users
channelnewsasia.com
03 September 2002 1407 hrs (SST) 0607 hrs (GMT)
By Japan Bureau Chief Michiyo Ishida
Japan is one of the most advanced countries in the world when it comes to mobile phone technology with one in two persons owning a mobile phone, or a total of nearly 71 million.
But despite the convenience, mobile phone users are increasingly being bombarded by "one giri" nuisance calls.
In such calls, the phone only rings once or twice.
There is no time to pick up that call but the phone number remains on the cell phone display to tempt the receiver to call back.
And when you return the call, you are most often directed to a taped message offering sexual services.
Those who continue to listen are likely to be charged by as much as US$580 later.
It is a scam most people soon learn to ignore.
On Japanese man said: "I'll try not to call back when I get such calls."
"I'll erase it by pushing the delete button," said a girl.
Over 20,000 complaints have arisen since the "one giri" calls started but analysts believe the number who have been tricked could be even higher.
Atsushi Sato, Senior Staff Researcher, Mitsubishi Research Institute, said: "If you listen to the service once, you leave your personal data there. And even though you are charged a certain amount of fee, you don't tell anyone because you are embarrassed, and these companies know that."
The damage is not only on individuals but on phone companies too as these offenders make thousands of random calls in a minute, disrupting the country's phone system.
Taking the situation seriously, the Japanese government has empowered phone company NTT and its firms to suspend connection services to rogue companies likely to flood the phone system, by up to 6 months.
The first action was taken against three "one giri" offenders.
NTT Docomo also announced new measures to charge fees from "one giri" operators.
And the government plans to submit a bill to Parliament later this year to tackle the problem.
But analysts say the effect will be minimal as the offenders will continue to find other ways to do their job |
