The BBC:

A man targeted by marketing companies is making money from cold calls with his own premium-rate phone number.

In November 2011 Lee Beaumont paid £10 plus VAT to set up his personal 0871 line – so to call him now costs 10p, from which he receives 7p.

The premium number regulator Phone Pay Plus told the BBC’s You and Yours: “Premium-rate numbers are not designed to be used in this way and we would strongly discourage any listeners from adopting this idea, as they will be liable under our code for any breaches and subsequent fines that result.”

The regulator’s clearly doing a bang-up job controlling the current abuses.  Surely they wouldn’t pick on an individual just because he’s annoying the industry?