Back on June 15th, I blogged a piece about what I called MobileFlashing
I thought of a new type of cyber crime I’d share with you - MobileFlashing - as I have now called it.
This will involve:
* Obtaining the number of someone with a video phone.
* Preferably they should be the opposite sex, or someone easily shockable.
* Calling them (withholding your number)
* Focusing your phone on your exposed genitalia, while observing your victim’s shocked reaction/screams or expletives.
Obviously, I’m not condoning this, but it will happen. Assuming you can find someone with a video phone in the first place!
Well, according to the UK’s Sun newspaper (via The Feature) it’s now happened - but with MMS rather than video to start with.
STUNNED Rosie Godfrey rang a helpline about her new camera phone ó and a customer services man sent four snaps of his WILLY.
The pictures showed the pervert ó who also sent a snap of his grinning face ó in an aroused state.
Hairdresser Rosie, 21, said last night: ìI felt really sick and upset when the pictures came through.
ìI did nothing to encourage him. The pictures came out of the blue.î
Rosie phoned the Orange helpline when she could not get her Samsung E700 phone to take pictures.
She was put through to Mark Tomlins in customer services ó and he said he would send her a picture of himself to test her phone.
After a snap of his face emerged, Mark rang Rosie, of Calne, Wilts, and said: ìItís your turn to send me a picture ó send me something nice.”
Rosie sent a picture of her dog then tried to get off the line ó but says Mark stopped her hanging up. She said: ìHe asked me if Iíd sent rude pictures before and said ëYou can tell me, Iím open-mindedí.î
Worried Rosie hung up, but later received a text message from Mark saying: ìSending something to go with the other pic u received.î
The four identical obscene photos then flashed up on her phone.
Rosie immediately complained to Orange. The firm later sacked Mark, 31, from their Plymouth call centre.
They alerted police who plan to question him.
An Orange spokeswoman said: ìWe have apologised unreservedly for the distress.î
What more can I add?
Other than to note that Orange’s phones, along with everyone else’s, still don’t work out of the box. Which is just plain silly.
Russell
PS By the way, the picture isn’t of Mark Tomlins, as Mr Murduch’s News Corp doesn’t allow use of its images without permission.