The UK has a regulator that would go after these companies. Any telco that was seen to be coluding with these dodgy companies (even by just ignoring some complaints) would face heavy duty regulation and large fines.
The UK regulator in this area has a reputation for failing to act on complaints and being too close to the industry it's meant to be regulating, as I recall.
Edit: We've had similar problems in the UK for years: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/17489393 I don't think most of the customers scammed ever saw refunds, and PhonepayPlus (the industry regulator's) fines are basically slaps on the wrist that are far less than the scammers' profits. Don't think there's ever been any equivalent of the FTC lawsuit over here.
