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

Purple_Stars

kasharic wrote: »

Just to add that I too have been scammed.
I checked my statement this morning and noticed a £30 transaction for Vodaphone, a company with which I have never been with.
Spoke to Barclays and cancelled my card (was originally told that I would have to wait until tomorrow to get card cancelled - how ridiculous)
Was told that the Fraud department would phone me back, but they haven't - will try later. This was after I was on hold for over 40 minutes, just to compound the misery.

I suppose I'm fortunate in that I noticed it early - dread to imagine what might have happened had I not noticed.

I spend ages on hold, I'm with Barclays too, spent about 50 minutes on hold to get my card cancelled, then had to call the fraud department and was on hold for 45 minutes until I got through to someone who sent me a form in the post to claim the money back. I'm very relieved that I now have the £30 back though!

bean123_2

MSE_Andrea wrote: »

Post written Tuesday 30 June 2009

What's it about?

Large numbers of MoneySavers have reported spotting erroneous amounts taken from their credit cards or bank accounts by mobile phone companies for top-ups on phones they haven't made and in some cases for phones they don't even own.

We've spoken to the press offices of o2 and Orange, the operators most people have reported as having taken amounts from their accounts. Both have given us statements.

The o2 and Orange press offices have given us the following statements:

o2

We take fraud prevention and security very seriously as an organisation and adhere to all the security measures and authentication measures operated by the banks. O2 only accepts payment where the security information and user’s name and address have been verified.

Anyone who thinks they have been wrongly charged by O2 for pay and go top up should contact O2. Our Fraud department will take steps to help them identify the possible reasons for the top up and, if it proves to be fraudulent, they will ensure that the fraudulent handset cannot be used. We would also advise them to contact their bank if they have not already done so.

Orange

If a customer believes that unauthorised payments have been made from their bank account to Orange, we recommend that they should notify both Orange and their card issuer immediately. This will help us to investigate each case straight away, and where necessary to prevent any potential fraudulent activity.

Orange takes a proactive approach to fraud prevention and has a dedicated fraud department responsible for ensuring that the business, our customers and the public are protected from fraudulent activity on the Orange network. Orange has a number of controls in place for card payments (including Verified by Visa, MasterCard Secure code, CSC/AVS validation and Chip and Pin) and continues to work with the banking industry and card schemes in order to maximise security and validation on card transactions.


I've found one of these, what do I do?

1. Contact your credit card provider or bank straight away

Often these are "tests" by criminals checking to see if the card is live. If they find it is it could be a pre-cursor to much larger sums being taken so if you spot one contact your company/bank immediately and let them know it's not a top-up you've made.

2. Call the mobile operators

Call the relevant mobile operator and ask to speak to its fraud department.

o2: 08705 678 678

Orange: 07973 100 150



Many thanks to sazziecee for originally spotting this offer. This post has been inserted into the top of the original thread to provide a researched and detailed explanation.

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Many thanks to Money Saving Expert for the above, however, the statements from both companies do not confirm whether or not they are aware of the problems being discussed here in this forum. Whatsmore in the case of the £30 taken from my own account by 02, I am not and never have been, a customer of them.

Once again thanks MSE for investigating the problem but the companies concerened here need to address the matter more thoroughly!

Bob_Terveuren

Hi all

Just spotted a £15 O2 Topup that appeared on our online Barclays statement today (6th August). Spot of luck as I rarely look at the online statement - but I digress.

Rang up Barclays Customer Services on 0845 7 555 555 (tip #1 - do not punch in your debit card number when asked, just wait until the recorded announcement is finished and you'll get through to a human quicker).

(non-tip #1) There is a published landline number +44 1904 544 666 for outside UK use - if you dial this from a UK number using 18185 or 18899 then it will not connect so you have to use their 0845 and pay)

After going through the necessary with their CS you will be put on hold and transferred to the Fraud guys - this took nearly 30 minutes in our case. On speaking to Fraud it was obvious that they had spent some of that time delving through the account and getting things sorted as they had full information to hand:

Our account shows : 5th Aug - O2 Prepay £15 (visible on our online statment)
: 5th Aug - Tesco Mobile £15 (not yet visible)

Both these will have to be charged back and we'll have to fill the forms in.

The second £15 had flagged the account up to them in any case as the card used is rarely (three times this year) used - there are a further seven transactions pending for the account which Barclays have cancelled - these seven will not appear on the statement and thus we do not have to go through the hassle of form filling and waiting to get the money back.

(The seven extra transactions were for a lot more than £15 a pop)

Bob

username

Rang up Barclays Customer Services on 0845 7 555 555 (tip #1 - do not punch in your debit card number when asked, just wait until the recorded announcement is finished and you'll get through to a human quicker).

(non-tip #1) There is a published landline number +44 1904 544 666 for outside UK use - if you dial this from a UK number using 18185 or 18899 then it will not connect so you have to use their 0845 and pay)

Alternatively, you can just ring the 01904 number normally and you'll be charged the going rate for the call. No need to ring the 0845 at all in any case.

Clashoftheclasses

I have just recently checked my bank statement online and found that this O2 scammer has just done the same to me :embarasse Ive lost a totally of 150 pounds out of my halifax account in the last two months, and the worst thing is i cant even get down to the bank to sort the problem out because i am suffering from a strong case of agoraphobia, So not only do i personlly feel that the scammers are laughting in my face i feel that O2 is also! My card has been cancelled but this will now be another big blow trying to sort out everything and i need to hope and pray that the bank will now refund my money as the earlyest i can get down to the bank with someone is next week (monday) which im not looking forward too! :mad:

Clashoftheclasses

Just recently got in touch with the police (01245 491491) Chelmsford Headquarters,I encourage everyone else to do so that has had this happen to them, mainly because i want these people caught to stop them in there tracks! Your bank will also encourage you to do so, because the more people that report this to the police the more the police will look into it as a serious matter! My cards been canceled and im filling out a fraud form and im willing to prosecute if need be , Who knows how long these scumbags have been getting away with this, the start of the forum says 2008, but i can bet that this has probably been going on for years! O2 will refund you YES but there making a profit from these scumbags remember that! Also they will only cancel the phone of the culprit which isnt enough because it could possibly happen to you again!

Malc`

I've been had by this £30.00 O2 Prepay UK scam too as of today. I tried to phone Barclays to cancel my card immediately but I failed the security question by giving them the wrong maiden name of my mother, as a result they tried telling me to wait 24 hours and call again, regardless of the fact someone clearly has my card details! I called back straight away (twice) but nobody would speak to me because of the failed security question on the previous call :mad:.

I managed to get it sorted by going into a branch and getting an advisor to call the call centre on my behalf, card cancelled and forms on the way. I gave the O2 number a ring and asked to speak to the fraud department after explaining the situation but they seemed disinterested. Instead of putting me through to fraud, the guy just filled in a call back form and I should hear something "by Tuesday". Time to change banks I think!!

dzug1

Clashoftheclasses wrote: »

Who knows how long these scumbags have been getting away with this, the start of the forum says 2008, but i can bet that this has probably been going on for years!

Well it was certainly going on in 2000

speedy_gonzalez

Tried to use my card last night and wasn't able to. Checked my bank statement online this morning and there was a £30 Tesco mobile top-up. Bank had spotted this and already frozen my card. Just have to phone the fraud dept and Tesco mobile later this morning.

freezspirit

Its not just mobile phone topups I've been the victim of credit card fraud, it appears now they also use National Express as the amount spent is under the radar.

P.S. I have found its best to go into your branch and get them to call the fraud department - they may have a direct number or something cos they are never put on hold. Also I was told to only pay for my actual items on my credit card and if I paid or partially paid for any that I didn't make, I wouldn't get a refund as it was a declaration that I made them.

Another thing I went into the bank on Monday to be told by fraud dep. that new cards and paperwork would arrive within 5 days so I go in on Friday as purchases as still being made to be told paperwork will take 2 weeks.

So I got over the shock of being a victim of credit card fraud and now in a state of annoyed as the fraudster has a better life than me. Appearantly I will be in the state of angry within the next week or so, according to the member of staff at Lloyds.