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

hethmar

Its just so infuriating and they never seem to follow it up.

HairY

Personally i'd love to hear stories of those who actually discovered the leak of their credit/debit card details.

Snarf999

Well if the mobile operators aren't going to prevent top ups (or increase security) via the web (address details required I believe) or over the phone (I'm not aware of any security checks) because they fear losing money, maybe Visa or Mastercard should just prevent them from using their cards, that'd certainly hit them where it hurts. It is of course the CC companies that are losing the money, whilst the fraudsters and mobile companies are the ones gaining.

Dopple

Not sure if this is related to my £30 O2 charge, but I bought something from Amazon a couple of weeks back, and now everytime I go to Amazon.co.uk's homepage, my anti-virus/firewall (Kaspersky) comes up with a message saying this site contains a link that tries to steal credit card details.

Anyone else getting this?

withabix

Snarf999 wrote: »

It is of course the CC companies that are losing the money, whilst the fraudsters and mobile companies are the ones gaining.

No, the transactions are reversed by the card companies, hence it is O2 and Vodaphone who pay for this.

withabix

NOBODY who is a victim of this scam has had their PC hacked or their card details stolen.

Card number sequences are tested until they find ones that work. The scammers probably use automated systems

Snarf999

withabix wrote: »

No, the transactions are reversed by the card companies, hence it is O2 and Vodaphone who pay for this.

If that's the case then I'm very much surprised why the mobile companies don't bother to tighten up their security, especially as they must be very well aware this is an issue.

Soprano2_2

withabix wrote: »

NOBODY who is a victim of this scam has had their PC hacked or their card details stolen.

Card number sequences are tested until they find ones that work. The scammers probably use automated systems

You may be right for some frauds, but for the O2 top-up scams, it is the case that O2 ask for address details as well as the other card info.

I've today found two fraudulent charges on my credit card. Both in favour of O2 and made using their telephone top-up system. My bank was quick and helpful. It's a major inconvenience to have your card stopped and wait for a replacement, but it has to be done.

As well as talking to the bank, I phoned O2's fraud department. An extremely helpful Andy explained what information would have been required by the fraudsters to charge my card. It included the long number (obviously), the expiry date, the 3 digit security code from the back, plus the first line of the address and the postcode. The O2 system does an address verification to check that the card is registered to that address before it allows the purchase.

O2 were, then and there during my call, able to trace the SIM cards which were topped up using my credit card and they told me they would immediately place a block on them.

I don't think this was O2's fault, and they were very responsive. Someone had all my details and certainly obtained them from a source completely unrelated to O2.

It could be any number of suppliers - large, small, middling. I do purchase stuff regularly from the internet and have the goods delivered to my house. All the vendors ask for exactly the same info and any one of them could have had it mis-used by one of their staff or by someone hacking into their system.

The VISA secure system is helpful in reducing fraudulent internet purchases, but it is not compulsory and it doesn't have any effect for telephone purchases. What is needed is some kind of additional security password which is not quoted in full - but in part - e.g. what are the first and fifth letters etc. Quoting the 3 digit so-called "security code" on the back of the card is comical. Since everyone requires this code in full (and can then pass it on in full) what on earth is secure about it? It's no different to having a longer long code!

JonnyUK_2

Soprano2 wrote: »

As well as talking to the bank, I phoned O2's fraud department. An extremely helpful Andy explained what information would have been required by the fraudsters to charge my card. It included the long number (obviously), the expiry date, the 3 digit security code from the back, plus the first line of the address and the postcode. The O2 system does an address verification to check that the card is registered to that address before it allows the purchase.

O2 were, then and there during my call, able to trace the SIM cards which were topped up using my credit card and they told me they would immediately place a block on them.

Do you have the o2 fraud dept telephone number at hand? I keep trying to get through but get stuck at the switchboard where it's asking which telephone number im calling about (because ofc im not calling about any particular telephone number!)

ClarkeEJ

I had 2 x £30 Vodaphone transactions on my account during the past week....