Online Threat Alerts (OTA) - Alerting you to scams and frauds.
The Wynnington Advert is very deceptive. I checked my phone bill and wondered why it was higher than usual. I was shocked to see a 3.25-minute call to 09066350615 costing £12.88 and a 1.38-minute call to 09066350615 for £6.20. I never knew just calling the number I would be charged. There was nothing that explained to me that I would be charged and allowed me to give consent to such a charge. Wynnington is using television, postal and phone provider companies to promote their competition.
I have a friend who told me he got a missed call from 09066350615. He said the phone rang once and so he called back the number but whoever answered stayed silent on the line, so he hung up. He got a bill for £13.
If you have been called by 09066350615 or similar numbers and was charged without your consent, report it to your mobile provider, they can help.
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Online Threat Alerts (OTA) is not affiliated with or endorsed by any trademark owner mentioned in this article. Some of the information in samples in this article may have been impersonated or spoofed.
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I complained to the Advertising Standards Authority about the Wynnington word game scam but they failed to give me the promised unique reference number. After FIVE weeks I contacted them again when they told me they had received my complaint but decided - without bothering to tell me - to do nothing about it. The ASA is owned by the advertising industry. They are not really an "authority" but a private company. They are a waste of space. Scammers help scammers.Andrew E. H...
It's definitely a SCAM When it shows alleged winners they are all female and nobody has won the promised jackpot.
This is a gravy train for the broadcasters. Once you get through the first win you have to enter a further competition and this ain't cheap, a proper legalised con. The broadcasters should be held responsible.
LOL your all bitter because you didnt win
**SCAM** WARNING**Wynnyngton are back again here in August 2023 with their Summer £15,000 Jackpot for finding the VERY well hidden 'EMMERDALE' (Cof.. Cof..) However, they now have an 0800 500 3066 Freephone number for you to call, whilst the small print advises someone will call you!As a responder to this promotion, Wynnington Ltd may contact you with similar exciting offers by post and SMS. You may also receive similar exciting offers from Churchastle Ltd by post only. If you do not wish to receive such offers, please opt-out by writing to us at Wynnington Opt Out, PO Box 166, Brighton, BN41 9ES, or by calling us on 0808 206 4152 or by emailing us at wynnington-adetiq.co.uk. You must be a UK Resident, aged over 18, and have permission of the telephone bill payer to participate. As a special promotion, there is a special Freephone entry line for this competition (0800 500 3320) If you dial the freephone number you will be urged to further dial more premium rate numbers to continue.DO NOT DIAL THESE NUMBERS! **SCAM** WARNING** SCAM**
For your information I have submitted a formal complaint to ITV/ITV3 regarding these bogus word-search advertisements. The challenge is non-existent as the'search' is simplistic presumably to entice as many people as possible to use the 0902 number which earns money for the scammer. ITV responded by suggesting a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) which is a bit of a con itself as it's owned by the advertising industry. I suggested that ITV should do the decent thing and police itself instead of leaving it to others. For good measure I also submitted a formal complaint to the ASA. This distasteful scamming advertisement has not appeared in recent days. Let us hope that it has gone now or shortly. I will update you otherwise. Here's hoping. Andrew E. Harris
You are so right. I cannot understand who these scamming ads are allowed by ITV
Have I made a mistake?
Oh! . Once bitten twice shy !yes the same type of problems and now the whole thing is back again on the ITV screen
Got a call several months ago wanting my bank details. Don't go there!!!
Ad always annoys me, complete rip off. Charged for entering a competition you have no chance of winning, all you do is spend lots of money trying. I agree ads should not be allowed on TV or in Newspaper's. In my own opinion it's a scam
Winnington is a simple scam that appears to be legal don't do it and the tv companies should be ashamed to allow.
Anyone fooled into spending £10,80 on a simple quiz deserves to be scammed. What I find annoying is TV companies allowing this at all. And governments as well. Good quizzes need thought . These obviously are not and should be banned so as to protect the lame brained amongst us
No, they don't deserve to be scammed. I arrived at this page not because we've been scammed. I live with my elderly mother who has dementia, she watches a lot of old repeat TV on ITV3. Often programmes from the 1980s, which she finds easier to follow. I expect this will be the case for many older people in Mum's position. Being around Mum I repeatedly see this advert on TV and I can see it a scam from a million miles away. It got me thinking of how this advert preys on older people who are more likely to watch the channel. This obviously works because the advert runs on repeat. I wondered how many repeats they needed to make a "profit". Older people's brains change thus are more likely to be scammed (a biological process they cannot do anything about) which makes them vulnerable. The TV company allows it because they're after the advertising revenue. Where's the safeguarding from Ofcom?
Minute prizes for easy answers and stupid charge rates for phone calls. AVOID!
Who, ever " Venture " into this " SCAM". DO YOUR SELF A MASSIVE " FAVOUR".& DONT !!! HOW ITS ALLOWED ON NATIONAL T.V.S IS SO IMMORAL. ABSOLUTE " SCAM '...BE WARNED.!!!!!?????
Do the voice over professional get paid for the service they advocate
Looks like a total rip off. Spend money on phone calls then keep getting more comps to try and therefore never win anything.
I believe it's a scam.Been on for months, with the simplest of answers.... absolutely ridiculous!!
Agree!
Why have the TV companies not stopped their advertising
I'm a solicitor & I'll make sure I get to the bottom of this with all your comments with me. Thank you
There is a landline number shown on the screen but it won't be the competition line that will be a premium rate number.
If something is 'free' and they are not openly selling anything, YOU ARE THE PRODUCT.
I have entered this competition and won but l keep getting more puzzles to solve in order to get the prize l have already won
I have never played this ,but watching their adverts really infuriate me and many other people.This is legal THEFT from individuals who don't know any better. This company should be closed down as the money is not going to Charity but to some greedy b******s who know exactly what they are doing.....ROBBING PEOPLE Legally. Criminals...
I too was taken in by Wynnington TV competition I even got 2 certificates saying I had answered correctly TWICE so I rang the 09 number twice and my phone bill was shocking as it charged me almost £16 on each occasion. I have heard absolutely nothing since I know I entered the competition willingly after the certificate seemed so genuine and I have saved them to show others not to be taken in by this very deceptive con. It’s quite cruel that they can be allowed to do this.
Should be reported to ofcom and taken of air riping vulnerable people of scam!
This is clearly a scam. Even the "24 hour correct answer phone line: 0906 6350399 is unobtainable as checked with BT 100 service. I believe the Company should have a Gaming Licence and that Gaming Licence number should be shown on all invitations to take part in the Competition.Its NOT. The only exemption to this rule would be if it were a genuinely FREE ENTRY competition. It is not FREE to enter these Word Search competitions because you are charged a Premium Rate on the entry telephone number when you call to make your entry. A percentage of the cost of that Premium Rate Call is paid to Wynnington Limited or its appointed Agent, thus, the entry is NOT FREE.Should anyone want to check the details of the Directors or the history to Wynnington Limited and its connection with Churchcastle Ltd go the "Companies House Webcheck" - its free all documents can be downloaded there!!!!!!!
This a completely legal dishonesty!The time limit is bogus as almost everybody has a pause button and the “clue” words are ALWAYS written horizontally starting in the first columns.Nevertheless, anybody foolish enough to fall for this probably deserves to loose their money.Still, the Stations transmitting this deception should cease!
Why is this ad allowed on TV? Some extremely vulnerable people will be fooled and lose their money. Surely it can be stopped
I reported this company to my bank today, they had no right to send me bills for no agreement to their subscription.
Yes it is fraudulent. The email and phone numbers do not work. They charged me £19.99 twice for payments that I did not give my permission make to and my bank have thankfully cancelled it.
I saw the Wyinnington competion on the TV, I completed it and telephoned I was charged for TWO calls at excess price about £4 each, They sent me by post another competition I completed it. They forced two calls, I now await my Virgin telephone charges for about 3mins, IT IS A SCAM, I SHOULD HAVE READ THE SMALL PRINT !!!
Thy use actors photo then put anyone to it. Its one big con, they rake money in pay themselves, they and call it wages
The prize draw doesn't even exist its a big con.They just keep sending words each puzzles over and over and over and over....until you eventually give up and that's it.
The small print at the bottom of the screen says that there is a hefty phone bill. Of course, the voice over tellls you to look at the grid to find the word … and just in case you found the word already, the voice over then asks you to look for the flower …. The ad I saw was highly manipulative and misleading. Also, dear ITV, it is not actually advertising anything: it *is* the game - and the cost is well hidden. Finally, is it £12,000 for everyone who gets the answer? Or for how many days/weeks/months does Wynnjngton Ltd cash in before they decide to nominate a winner?
I was taken in by thus advert & charged £3,60. I was furious. I then received a 'certificate in order to enter again for an additional sum. What a rip off. Don't get caught. ITV should be ashamed of themselves. All these gambling ads should be banned from TV channels. Disgusting.
I watched this advert, which seems to be on more frequently at holiday times, and realised immediately it is very very sharp practice. Some people will be gullible enough to enter this” competition “. Advertising standards should take a look at this immediately.who works for these immoral companies?
This company openly admits it will charge you £3.60 to enter the £12000 competition and then a further £7.20 to enter the £3500 competition. The word search is so easy many people might be tempted to enter both competitions.Competitors posting on this website report being charged more than the advertised amounts.Given the rather paltry winning amount and the incredibly easy word search competition which may lure a large number of entrants, the company is likely to accrue very large amounts of revenue. Given the £12000 prize costing a nominal £3.60 to enter there would only require 3334 entrants to cover the prize.To enter the £3500 competition requires entry to the £12000 and requires a further £7.20 entrance charge. To cover the £15500 prize it would require 1434 entrants. Given that entrants report being overcharged the number of entrants to cover the prize money would be further reduced. Also, the company does not appear to publicise the names of the winners. The advert gives '60 seconds' to enter the competition while on screen. The advert is screened several times - it is not clear how the adverts are related or if they are completely independent ie each showing relates to a new £12000/£15500 prize.Overall this 'competition' is an immoral mechanism to make money at the expense of naive entrants. The advert should be removed and the company Wynnington has highly questionable motives and must be prevented from advertising on any of ITV's channels.
This company openly admits it will charge you £3.60 to enter the £12000 competition and then a further £7.20 to enter the £3500 competition. The word search is so easy many people might be tempted to enter both competitions.Competitors on this website report being charged more than the advertised amounts.Given the rather paltry winning amount and the incredibly easy word search competition which may lure a large number of entrants, the company is likely to accrue very large amounts of revenue. Given the £12000 prize costing a nominal £3.60 to enter there would only require 3334 entrants to cover the prize.To enter the £3500 competition requires entry to the £12000 and requires a further £7.20 entrance charge. To cover the £15500 prize it would require 1434 entrants. Given that entrants report being overcharged the number of entrants to cover the prize money would be further reduced. Also, tthe company does not appear to publicise names of winners. The advert gives '60 seconds' to enter the competition while on screen. The advert is screened a number of times - it is not clear how the adverts are related or if they are completely independent ie each showing relates to a new £12000/£15500 prize.Overall this 'competition' is an immoral mechanism to make money at the expense of naive entrants.The advert should be removed and the company Wynnington prevented from advertising on any of ITV's channels.
Just seen the advert again on ITV3 in the middle of Heartbeat, same answer as last year - Countdown and Daffodil - I am interested in how much money is generated and how many people enter?I have been meaning to search to find out the figures, surely there must be a published list of previous winners?I feel sorry for the people that don't notice the call charges shown on screen as I guess that no details are given when you actually call? Anyone here know of a winner?
Register a complaint with the police (Economic Crime Unit) and insist on an investigation.That is my advice.
Yes it is a con the ad on the TV should not be allowed somebody interested fraud squad should be on this, don't ever reply to any of their comps it's all a scam and if his name is Robert he's a fraudster definitely
Defford a scam, stay away
An absolute bag of spunktrumpet w*********s!
It’s obviously a Scam How T.V Advertising Bodies are Allowing This is a Scandal.
Scam plain and simple
How it it a scam? The small print at the bottom of the page lists all the call times and charges and gives 3 ways to opt out from further calls. By entering the competition you are deemed to have read and accepted these t &c's