A watchdog has revealed it is investigating a premium-rate texting campaign, following complaints from recipients that they have been charged fees even though many believe they never opted into the service. One expert claimed the messages look like spam, which could cause phone owners to ignore them. There is also concern about conflicting advice being given to the public.

The two companies involved in the campaign deny any wrongdoing. The BBC became aware of the campaign when one of its reporters received a text in June. It said: "FreeMsg: U have subscribed to Comp House competition for £4.50 per month until you send stop to 82225. SP Pro Money HELLO? 08001577502?T&C". A shortened Bit.ly link was sent as a follow-up message, and a third communication stated that this "text cost £1.50". The company behind the campaign is called Pro Money Holdings, which is registered to an Ilford, London address.It makes use of a second service, called Veoo - a St Albans-headquartered business that provides billing and messaging platforms to mobile-related companies. Text charges

The industry's regulator, the Phone-paid Services Authority (PSA), later told the BBC it was "informally" investigating complaints about the Pro Money Holdings service and had "recently" opened a probe into Veoo. "Under our code of practice, consumers must not be charged for phone-paid services without their consent," said a spokesman. "We are currently looking into complaints regarding the service operating on 82225 and separately have an ongoing investigation into Veoo."

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