A stolen phone was used to rack up more than $500,000 charges with calls to Somalia.
- Phone stolen in Europe was used to make calls to Somalia
- Despite theft being reported, customer was told to pay more than $500,000
- Case highlights global concerns over the costs of cell phone roaming
(CNN) -- Think your vacation cell phone bill is high? Then spare a thought for the Australian hit with more than $500,000 in charges for calls made when his device was stolen in Europe.
The whopping figure came to light in a recent report by Australia's telecoms ombudsman, who received a complaint about the bill after the customer's phone provider insisted he pay it -- even though he'd reported the theft.
Astonishingly, the calls -- including several to Somalia -- were made within a single 24-hour period, a fact that'll do little to reduce concerns about the high cost of roaming charges both in Australia and the rest of the world.
The complaint about the bill was made by a man identified as "David" whose son had his phone stolen during a trip to Europe.
"He reported the theft to local police and to his provider in Australia, but because of the time difference between the continents, the provider recorded the theft as having happened a day later than it occurred," the ombudsman said in a report.
"Back in Australia, his son's bill came to more than AUS$570,000 ($517,000) and listed calls to Somalia."
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Huge data charges
Apple CEO Tim Cook is expected to unveil the iPhone 6 -- and possibly more than one phone model -- early this fall. The phone reportedly will have a bigger screen than current Apple models. Here is a look at some other top smartphones on the market now or coming soon. 
Announced in June, Amazon's Fire Phone will have a 5-inch screen that displays 3-D images. A feature called Firefly offers instant image, text and audio recognition and can supposedly recognize more than 100 million songs, videos and consumer products. It will sell for $199 for a 32GB model and $299 for 64GB and begins shipping July 25. 
The Galaxy S5 is the latest in Samsung's line of big-screen, feature-laden phones.Considered an improvement, but not radical departure from, the S4, the phone features a 5.1-inch screen, 16-megapixel camera with ultra-fast shutter speed and a fingerprint sensor for added security. It sells for $199 with most mobile contracts. 
The iPhone 5S is Apple's fastest handset yet, with an upgraded camera with slow-motion video capabilities and the Touch ID fingerprint scanner for security. It ranges from $199-$399, depending on storage. Apple also sells a new plastic iPhone, the 5C, which is simpler and cheaper: $99-199. 
Hailed by some critics as the best Android phone yet, HTC's latest offering has a sleek, brushed-metal design that has charmed reviewers. It boasts a 5-inch screen, a dual-camera setup that lets users refocus even after they take an image and a hefty 2GB of RAM. The HTC One M8 retails for $199. 
Google has sold Motorola to Lenovo, but the Moto X still has its admirers. The Moto X claims to be the first phone manufactured in the U.S. Hands-free voice controls allow you to operate the phone without touching it -- a handy trick if you're across the room -- and it's highly customizable. And because it's been out for a while you can pick it up cheaply with most wireless contracts. 
The king of the "phablets," the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 has a vivid, 5.7-inch screen and comes equipped with a stylus. It's $299 and has been a popular No. 2 device for Samsung. 
Some reviewers have called the Nokia Lumia Icon with a fast processor, 5-inch display screen and 20-megapixel camera, the best Windows phone yet. But the phone, selling for $199, is only available on Verizon. Nokia's other top-end phone, the bigger (6-inch) Lumia 1520, is similarly exclusive to AT&T. 
BlackBerry, once the king of business-oriented phones, is now struggling to catch up. Unlike past models, its flagship Z10 phone has no physical keyboard. It also offers a feature that splits the phone into two separate devices -- one for work and one for personal use -- so IT departments can control the flow of sensitive data. The Z10 is now free with a two-year wireless contract. 
This is the second generation of the Sony phone with an unusual claim to fame: The company says it's water-resistant, for up to 30 minutes. It also boasts a 20-megapixel camera, which Sony claims has the industry's largest sensor. The Experia Z1s is exclusive to T-Mobile. Hottest new phones The story has a relatively happy ending: after the ombudsman stepped in, the phone provider eventually agreed to waive its demands.
For many of us though, roaming costs remain a major pitfall of travel in an age when we're all carrying data-enabled device that, unless disabled, will rack up huge charges for overseas internet and email access.
A 2011 report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) identified Australia as one of the most expensive countries for data roaming charges.
Of the 34 nations surveyed, Australia was the seventh most costly country of origin for average roaming charges, behind Poland, Japan, Israel, Chile, Mexico, the United States and Canada. Greece and Iceland were the cheapest.
Mounting anger over the high cost of phone use abroad has led to efforts to rein in phone companies.
In Europe, the European Union has placed a cap on roaming charges for customers traveling within the trading bloc. The European Parliament this year voted to scrap them altogether, pending approval from individual EU governments.
ETNO, the European telecoms industry body, has complained it needs roaming revenues to maintain investment in mobile networks.
Either way, it's clearly a talking point -- just as long as you're not talking on a long-distance line.
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