Two companies running premium-rate phone competitions on "typosquatted" sites have been fined 100,000.
Typosquatters use misspelled versions of the web addresses of well-noted brands.
Premium-rate phone regulator PhonepayPlus mentioned Amsterdam-based RD Media Europe and Una Valley BV used typosquatted sites.
The regulator mentioned consumers were "misled" and in addition systematic the fined companies to return callers.
PhonepayPlus mentioned the companies had moreover unsuccessful to supply coherent data about pricing.
Consumers on vacation the typosquatted pages, that resembled well-noted websites, were invited to take segment in competitions.
The contest sites had web addresses, identical to the of bona fide brands, similar to Wikipedia or Twitter.
In the competitions, the regulator said, participants were since the sense that entering meeting sum and responding a couple of questions were all that would be compulsory to win a prize.
However, participants began to take content messages asking them ask or consult questions, with any summary costing 1.50 to take and a serve 1.50 to answer.
PhonepayPlus mentioned a plant was charged 63 after using a site formed on YouTube.
PhonepayPlus sanctions all premium-rate write service providers who run in the UK market.
All providers are thankful to record with the organization and accept by their ethics of use over satisfactory use.
The regulator mentioned RD Media Europe and Una Valley BV breached this ethics of practice.
As good as the fine, PhonepayPlus' judiciary systematic the two companies to return the that have mislaid allowance by these competitions.
The organisation's arch senior manager Paul Whiteing said: "These judgements send a coherent summary to providers that they cannot fool around on the public's certitude in well-noted websites to publicize services."
Neither RD Media Europe nor Una Valley BV could be reached for comment.
Charlie Abrahams, vice-president of brand insurance definite MarkMonitor, told the BBC that typosquatting is a of the many familiar methods of scams involving cybersquatting.
"The infringer is preying on the probability of the consumer omitted out a dot or creation a mistake," he said.
"It is violation the law by attempting to make distinction by impersonating a trademark."
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