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

kilasuit

SSHAW wrote: »

def think there is a problem with Amazon and can't understand why this hasn't been sorted. They are a big company so should have got problem fixed. I will still use them but won't store information in my account any more.
.

doubt deleting info from account will make a difference as its more likely that its at payment processing that the details are swiped.

emzi27

I am also another one that has been had by this.
O2(UK)LTD PREPAY
CD ****30.00
on my Lloyds statement. I rarely use this card for anything except paying bills including 02 phone bill.
The bank are giving me the money back and I have cancelled my cards but what can we do about this?
02 don't seem bothered when you talk to them on the phone. I know they aren't directly to blame but they are playing host to these scams and making it easy for the fraudsters! There is obviously a reason why so many transactions are to do with 02!
These people are getting away with it. Why does 02 not have more secure methods and why has this scam been going on for years?!
I think we should all definately contact watchdog as things need to change. How many people won't have noticed this money going missing?
I am annoyed as I am on a hen weekend this wkend and have no access to my money! Will have to carry cash or keep traipsing to the bank everytime I want to buy the bride a pint!

jamesjuls

I noticed today, that there are 3 transactions for £30 going out of my account over the last few days. One is O2(UK) LTD PREPAY, but the other 2 are VODAFONE CR T
Has anyone had this?
I called the bank and cancelled my account, waiting to see how long it takes to credit my account. Also called O2, they are going to call me back in the next 48 hours. But can't get through to Vodafone!!!

TaZmAn

SSHAW wrote: »

I've got a Nationwide Visa card. Someone used it for a £30 vodafone top up last Fri at 6.15pm by 8pm the Nationwide were on the phone to ask if it was us! Talk about quick off the mark. We don't have vodafone so it wasn't us. Now have new cards but waiting for the pin. Last transaction I did on this credit card was to Amazon. Funny enough a woman yesterday told me same thing had happened to her Tesco credit card. Used on Amazon then vodafone top ups appeared. My Dad used his M&S mastercard on Amazon and someone tried to use it in the States for several hundred dollars.

I def think there is a problem with Amazon and can't understand why this hasn't been sorted. They are a big company so should have got problem fixed. I will still use them but won't store information in my account any more.

Vodafone should be getting lots of declined payments from peoples cards that have been cancelled so why are they continually trying to push through payments on a fraudulent basis? All about money, I suppose.

Exactly the same thing just happened to me(!!!) :eek:. I found today that my credit card was being declined everywhere for no apparent reason (Nationwide Visa card like yours). I then found a fraudulent £30 payment had been taken for a Vodaphone Mobile Credit Card Top Up??? I don't even have a Vodaphone mobile. I had also bought something from Amazon recently on my card just like you and the illegal £30 payment was taken last Friday (i.e. exactly the same day as you!). Unlike you though, Nationwide never tried to contact me?? I just rang Nationwide and they were far from helpful. My card's completely frozen and I've been told to ring back tomorrow!!! :mad:

bean123_2

Futher to my earlier entry......after signing a declaration form for the Natwest they have now refunded my £30 and sent me a letter (template) regarding ways I can help prevent fraudulent activity!

I have sent a reply to them asking them to clarify what exactly the results of their investigations revealed and await their response but seeing as though they were so willing to refund the money so quickly (no further questions asked) it makes you believe they are well aware of the situation.

I still cant believe how many people are adding their bit to this forum...Watchdog or someone needs to get involved!!!!

hethmar

Im surprised Nationwide werent more helpful - it may be they were inundated with people to call. They rang me one night as I watched Corrie and asked if Id just tried to buy a mobile phone from Liverpool! They had noticed a small payment for i-tune going out followed by this attempted purchase for £300 and had stopped it dead. I thought that was pretty good on their part.

BUT this whole system makes me want to spit. These fraudesters are just racking in multi million pound sums and NOTHING seems to be done about it.

I hope everyone is contacting Watchdog.

TaZmAn

Have now been told my new card won't be up and running for around 2 weeks :rolleyes: and that my online banking will be unusable for around a month! This is really annoying me now - this inconveniences me much more than the £30 which was taken! :mad:

The only thing that will magically continue to work during this time, will apparently be the direct debit still taking payment from me for the cancelled card - lol

Also - I kept telling them that other people with Nationwide credit cards have been affected in exactly the same way and that interestingly we all bought stuff from Amazon just before - they didn't care and wouldn't even make a note of it(!?) - Really surprised by this, as I'm sure this info would be invaluable to them if they wanted to catch these criminals. From the phone call, it was clear they really don't care at all about finding the people who did it or investigating how the money was taken - the entire phone call is geared towards getting a replacement card setup and that's it. They're not bothered about finding out how the money was taken or by who. I guess from their attitude, this must happen a hell of a lot and it's just something they choose to live with - seems very strange to me (maybe it costs them more to investigate than to just write it off?).

surprised_2

Same thing happened to my co op account £30 debited for 02 uk ltd prepay. Card cancelled!!! Waiting for new one.

HairY

This happened to me too. It also happened previously to my mother.

Phone top-ups are used as tests by fraudsters because they're very unlikely to be noticed. In the case of mother it was followed up a week or so later with a £700 jewellery spend and a ~£100 spend in Pizza Hut!

I recommend anyone who gets one of these fraudulent O2 top-up's also contact O2's fraud line as they will bar the SIM (and phone?) of the person who made the top-up. The same goes for other networks.

Dopple

I just got one of these on my Nationwide Credit Card today.