Fresh nd New tricks

State-owned BSNL on Thursday asked its mobile users not to dial certain international numbers coming from Maldives, Nigeria, Diego Garcia and Sao Tome and Principe that could lead to deduction of huge amount of charges.

The warning came after a number of mobile customers, especially prepaid subscribers, complained of reduction of huge amount of balance after they dialed international numbers starting from +246, 239, 234 and 960.

The mobile customers have been receiving missed calls from these numbers during late night or early morning hours.

"Whenever the customer dials back on these numbers, huge amount charges get deducted," a senior official of BSNL said on Thursday. According to BSNL officials, premium rate is charged whenever a call is made to these international numbers and customers end up paying heavy charges.

"Charges deducted on these numbers could range between Rs 10 to 20 per minute call," official said while insisting that the international numbers were not unauthorised ones. To avoid huge balance deduction due to such calls, customers are advised not to dial such unknown numbers, said the official.