MSE News: Bogus mobile top-ups could spell greater fraud danger

nomnomnom

foxyloxy wrote: »

just had a call from hsbc fraud protection dept - someone trying to use my visa card to credit an o2 prepay phone!

At least you got a call from HSBC! Maybe they are watching all the O2 prepay transactions now. I was pleased to see they credited the £30 back to my account almost instantly, after saying it may be a week or something I am impressed. Last time I had my card cloned a few years ago with NAtionwide they took 3 months to give me my money back

nomnomnom

kdalwayskint wrote: »

Hi, I'm no expert, but from memory, when I was adding my card/linking my bank account to paypal, they deposit 2 small amounts and then you have to go on their page and let them know how much it was so you can complete the process.

2 days after the O2 prepay was taken from my bank account I had 2 Paypal transactions for 2p each. Also got a letter asking me to confirm my address or something. Looks like someone set up a Paypal account in my name and they knew my address and bank details, hence the two small transactions and them trying to complete the account opening.

I'm glad Paypal do send mail to your home address like this, or someone could have opened an account in my name.

Just a thought - literally a few days before all this happened, I ordered some stuff online with Avon.co.uk

I normally never use my debit card online, could this be how my details were obtained?

Mary_Forster

I Have Just Discovered That My Bank Account Has Been Debited With 2 X £30 On The Same Date In Jan And Feb. As With Everybody Else The Bank Is Looking Into It And Sending Me Another Card. This Seems To Be Happening All The Time And So Easy Not To Spot It.

bluewomble69

We found an O2 Prepay topup for £30 on our card last Saturday morning (28th Feb). Reported to bank (HSBC) who gave me a dispute number. We don't have an O2 phone, like others (apparently £30 is the maximum topup allowed on a phone in one day). O2 fraud department weren't in until Monday, when I phoned them they recommended I got my card stopped (not the bank!). Rang bank stopped card (Maestro) - new Visa Debit arrived this Wednesday but no sign of the £30 from the bank. Will chase them hard if no sign tomorrow (6th March),

hethmar

Goodness, they must be raking millions in. Do they really use all these £30 phone cards OR is it a fiddle with someone at O2 who registers them as phone call cards but pockets the £30?

Please all add your complaints to the Watchdog link.

EJN

Oh I've had a £30.00 payment to O2 Prepay Slough go out of my account last Friday. I contacted RBS fraud department and they have stopped my card and will be sending me some forms to fill in. My card was also linked to my Paypal account.

nomnomnom

bluewomble69 wrote: »

We found an O2 Prepay topup for £30 on our card last Saturday morning (28th Feb). Reported to bank (HSBC) who gave me a dispute number. We don't have an O2 phone, like others (apparently £30 is the maximum topup allowed on a phone in one day). O2 fraud department weren't in until Monday, when I phoned them they recommended I got my card stopped (not the bank!). Rang bank stopped card (Maestro) - new Visa Debit arrived this Wednesday but no sign of the £30 from the bank. Will chase them hard if no sign tomorrow (6th March),

I am also with hsbc and got my money back within a few days but they did say it could be several days before I received the money,

squished

I topped up my PAYG via the O2 website. I added £15. A few days later my card was charged another £30 for a top-up I did not make.

Worse, my bank later blocked a whole load of transactions I did make because they picked up some suspicious activity on the card, and I only found out when I tried to use the card online again a week later.

I identified 2 transactions to the bank that were not mine: both were for online searches of an electoral register.

I've since been told that it's possible that the fraudster was using the info which they gained from the fraudulently paid for searches so that they could create a false identity for themselves (i.e. steal my identity) and take out other cards / loans in my name.

I don't know if the O2 topup and the subsequent fraudulent use of the card are linked, but you've got to admit: it looks to be more than a coincidence.

I wish I'd known about the O2 top-up problem before using their website.

Meanwhile, my new credit card and account numbers make the old ones worthless. Now all I have to do is claim the money back which was stolen from me and hope that the other banks, etc aren't stupid enough to lend money or issue cards on any false data they get presented with.

When O2 offered Pay & Go "surprises" in their current promotion for using their website to top up a PAYG phone, I didn't expect the surprise to be theft from my account.

basill

Hethmar, do you want to get on the telly?

B

EJN

I have been left very worried by this whole experience as it has never happened to me before and I can not think of any way someone would have got hold of my card details. I am very careful in shops not to let my card leave my sight and I take care online also. My computer is protected with the usual software so I assume they can't have got my details that way.

O2 must surely be aware of this huge problem? I was amazed when a quick serach online revealed the extent of this fraud. Why do O2 not add Varified by Visa to they website or could this have been a top up made by the actual phone this fraudster owns? Is this type of fraud carried out by individuals or is it organised crime? Gosh, I am sacring myself even more now......:eek: