Calls charged to my home phone number

[Retired2]

In reviewing my past bills I found two numbers that were supposedly dialed from my home phone number. One on January 7 to a Fort McMurray number for 15 minutes and then one 13 minutes later to a Red Deer number for one minutes.  Six days later to the same number in Fort McMurray was called for 5 minutes. We were not even home on January 7. In chatting with support all they told me was I was charged because the call was made from my land line. Although the charge is negligible I still would like to know how this could happen.

[mdk]

Anybody else with keys to your home?

Earlier this year, I too had a strange "glitch" on my bill -- two Video-On-Demand titles were rented around 3 AM -- when I was asleep. Shaw cancelled the charges, on what they said was a "one-time" action, but did not cancel the PST/GST taxes. 😞

Have you (or Shaw) ever changed the Shaw Phone adapter? It is marginally possible that the "swapped-out" adapter was reconnected somehow (by a Shaw employee, or by the next customer to rent it) and those calls were made.

Or, if somebody hacked into your My Shaw account, they could have created "call-forwarding" to one of those numbers. Then, calling your number would connect to that number, and your account would be billed for the long-distance call. After the call, they could remove the forwarding.

Have you done a Google-search for each telephone-number? Or, accessed www.Canada411.ca and done a search for that number, to try to see who received the call(s) ?

Although a few Shaw employees voluntarily contribute to this forum, I recommend that you telephone Shaw, to get assistance.

[Retired2]

I have done a search for each number but not much information provided. Simply shows that number is in the Fort McMurray area. No one else used the phone at all. I did phone Shaw and all they said were the numbers were dialed from our phone. I will just check bill more carefully. Thanks for suggestions.

[gordn]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest you call Shaw directly to discuss. A community support forum is not the place to get this kind of support. You have a problem that needs immediate attention. Not a bunch of people throwing ideas around.

[Jon26]

We have had a similar problem.  Long distance charges showing up on our Shaw bill which were not legitimate.  We have also had cases where we were charged for movies that we did not request or watch including one sports PPV for $70.  This started after Shaw upgraded our PVR with a refurbished one.  Had Shaw block the service to stop it happening.  Same with long distance, had them block LD calls on the phone which doesn't have a long distance calling package on it.  Our other number has an unlimited LD calling package on it.  It looks like their system is being hacked.  

[mdk]

@Jon26 --  This started after Shaw upgraded our PVR with a refurbished one. 

It is possible that Shaw did not remove the serial-number of your previous PVR from your account, and then the PVR was assigned to another Shaw customer, and that other Shaw customer viewed the PVR, and the charge was billed to your Shaw account.

> Same with long distance ...

It could be the same thing -- not removing the serial-number of your (previous?) Shaw Phone Terminal from your account.

> the phone ... doesn't have a long distance calling package on it. 

Current long-distance rates & plans are at: https://www.shaw.ca/home-phone

> It looks like their system is being hacked.  

I doubt it.  Of course, "Caller-ID" information can be spoofed, especially when using VOIP ("Voice Over Internet Protocol") to show the recipient of the call the spoofed information.

Do you have any phone-jacks in a "mother-in-law" suite within your house? Was one of them abused to make non-local calls?