Anti-hoax: the mysterious “electronic recommendation” from TIM is not a scam or malware

If you have received an email containing a “Registered mail stock notice” Shipped from Tnotice.com labeled “On behalf of TIM SpA” and you suspected that it was a scam or an attempted cyber attack, you are not alone and you are not entirely wrong.

Even a strange sender like Tnotice.com makes you suspicious, but the message also contains the amateurish errors that are typical of scammers' emails:

• no replay in the place of no reply
• retire the message as a macaronic translation of withdraw the message (to retire means “retirement”)
• frequent ask questions in the place of frequently asked questions

Whoever packaged and approved this stuff should be given a fishing rod together with an early retirement so that he can no longer do any more damage.

Among other things, this “electronic registered letter” can be collected by anyone who has the email received: just give any telephone number to receive the access code via SMS.

If you want to know what this “registered letter” contains, here is the text I received: a single paragraph of strict bureaucratic language that talks about a possible refund for the processing of bills with a frequency of 28 days.

Subject: TIM Informa

The Court of Milan, Eleventh Civil Section, following the ordinary action brought by the Consumer Movement Association, prohibited TELECOM ITALIA SPA from the adoption, use and effects in fixed telephony contracts (or other services offered in combination with landline telephony) stipulated with consumers, of clauses that provide for renewals and payments on a 28 day/8 week basis. The adoption and use of this periodicity, starting from 04.01.2017, has harmed and is harming the collective rights and interests of consumers, provided for by the art. 2 Consumer Code (1: right to adequate information and correct advertising; 2: right to commercial practices based on principles of good faith, correctness and loyalty; 3: right to correctness, transparency and fairness in relationships contractual) with violation also of the minimum information contents and of the principle of transparency, provided for in favor of consumers who use telephone services by the articles. 70 and 71 Electronic Communications Code. This conduct also results in an unfair, deceptive commercial practice, prohibited by art. 20 Consumer Code, as the adoption of this periodicity (28 days), different from that of use, is contrary to professional diligence and is likely to significantly distort the economic behavior of the average consumer, making it difficult to evaluate the offers and the comparison between them, also for the purposes of exercising the right of free withdrawal, provided for by law in the event of a unilateral change in the conditions of the service by the telephone operator. The illegitimacy of the conduct described above entails the right of each consumer who has undergone, in the context of a fixed telephony contract (or other services offered in conjunction with fixed telephony), the adoption of the 28 day/day billing frequency. 8 weeks, to the recovery of the sums unduly paid.

You can make your request online from the Home Page of the tim.it website in the “TIM Always by your side” section by filling out the dedicated form, indicating the following unique code (omitted).