[woofcat]

They own the premium number that the victim is texting... and thus earning the charged money.

[rib3ye]

Ah, it's like a 900 number, but for sms.

[Scoundreller]

Has been going on against voip companies since the beginning.

Here’s a story from 2005:

https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2005/0919/058.html?sh=5531184c...