Internet users, beware!

I was using a 10 GB internet post-paid package provided by a service provider some time ago. All of a sudden my connection was barred by the service provider. When I inquired, the reason, an employee of the customer care division of the service provider told to my amazement that I had exceeded my credit limit which I could not believe.

When I asked him as to how it had happened only in that month he said that I had obtained some additional services. Upon my further inquiry he said that there are some links in some websites which would charge an amount even if we click on accidentally. I protested saying I did not come across any such links for which he said many people unwittingly click on these links and the amount charged by the link would be added to the internet user’s account by the service provider. He volunteered to block those links from my number for which I agreed. But I had to pay the previous bill in full.

A few weeks later, I wanted to change my service provider, as a second service provider had announced a 50 GB post-page internet package for the same amount, which I had been paying monthly. During the first month that service provider also barred my connection and I got the same answer when I inquired about the reason. And the employee of the service provider’s call centre also volunteered to block those links.

This seems to be a fraud by the service providers as no link or pop up messages can come to us unless they are allowed by the service providers to come through their server. And there must definitely be an agreement between the people behind these links and the service provider; otherwise the money charged from us cannot be transferred to the accounts of those people by the service provider. We do not have any agreement with any third party and the service provider has no right to charge money from us and transfer it to the third party.

If they can block these links upon our complaints, why could they do so before? And the most important question is what does the service provider gain by allowing these money levying links to creep through his server? Do they get a share of the money plundered by those behind the said links? MALIK ABEYSENA KALAPALUWAWA