SMS to 4129 — the “Surname History” Scam That Costs 53 Hryvnias
Scam alert! Want to learn the history of your surname — and lose some money while you’re at it, and not just 30 kopecks? Then send an SMS to the short number 4129.
An SMS to 4129 costs about 53 hryvnias, not a couple of hryvnias as the website makes it look.
How I checked
I took an old SIM card with 70 kopecks left on it and tried to send an SMS to 4129. Of course, the message didn’t go through — there wasn’t enough money on the account. With more money on the balance, 53 hryvnias would have been charged.
How the scam works
- The website promises a “history of your surname”, a “family book” or a “search for data on anyone” — address, contacts, occupation. To “log in”, you’re asked to send an SMS to a short number.
- The site looks respectable, sometimes even with the state coat of arms, while the real price is written in small print at the bottom of the page.
- If the SMS “doesn’t send” to 4129, they suggest trying 4128 or 4127 — numbers from the same scheme.
- Whatever surname you enter, it’s “in the database” — this is meant to convince you to send the SMS.
- According to a reader, the operator explained that the SMS costs 50 UAH plus the Pension Fund levy — which is why about 53–54 UAH disappears from the balance.
How to get your money back
If the money has already been charged:
- Call your operator’s contact center and ask which company owns the short number and what the charge was for.
- File a written complaint with the operator (on its website or at a service center): give the number, date and amount, and say the price wasn’t clearly shown.
- If the operator refuses, you can file a report with the police.
Readers did get their money back this way: one got 54 UAH returned to his balance after a complaint, another described his correspondence in detail on a forum. But the best thing is to search the internet for any short number before sending an SMS to it.