Carphone Warehouse - BEWARE WHEN PURCHASING ONLINE

ugandandollars

I purchased an iphone through carphonewarehouse's website via quidco on the 22/11/2008.

I have since had £1300 pounds removed fraudulently from my bank account and my bank confirmed it was done using details that were sent to the carphone warehouse online. The bank's fraud department confirmed they have been dealing with numerous fraudulent transactions linked to carphone warehouse this week.

CPW are also still linked to a separate scam which uses the pre-allocated blocks of mobile numbers that O2 purchase periodically for new customers. They ring through the new numbers until a customer activates their sim and offer "cheaper" insurance if they "reconfirm" their bank details. This also happened to me as soon as my O2 sim went live. Obviously I did not give them any information and they hung up abruptly after I asked who they were. This is a known scam that has gone on for a while now. Even CPW's own staff told me they have received these fishing calls upon activation.

I find it deeply disturbing that this company's name has repeatedly appeared in forums and fraud inquiries yet the systematic identity theft continues seemingly unchecked.

At least check your bank account every day for a week after making the purchase. They took out money from my account in a series of £200 and £300 transactions over 5 days.

Special_T

Hi

I'm not yet sure about the fraud issue :eek: but I know we have have problems over the last few days.

Yesterday my husband ordered a pay as you go phone (for a gift) via Quidco - evertthing seemed fine, then he got an email saying the order had failed the credit checks and had been cancelled. He phoned the credit card company who said there have been a number of internet frauds recently and the card may have been blocked (we have been doing a bit of internet / shop purchases over the past few days) and it would be removed. Hubby then phoned and was told he could reorder over the phone - agreed to do this but then realised that he wouldn't get the cashback and also wouldn't be able to collect as the delivery would now not be until next week.

As I was going to collect, I ordered the phone today and everything went through fine. I have now however received an email saying the order failed the credit checks and that the order had been cancelled. I have phoned my credit card company (a totally different credit card to hubby, by the way) and they say everything is ok.....although there are 3 :eek: pending transactions for the same amount.

Will update with progress - intially I thought it may be a way of avoliding quidco cashback....