EE/google play fraud - not enough info to know which ombudsman

Dawnt

Boku said:

“
Our records indicate that mobile number xxxxxxxxxx was used to purchase content through the Google Play Store.

Boku is a mobile billing service that allows customers to make purchases using their mobile phone. Google/Android users can authorize their mobile phone number be stored as a payment method in their Google Play account.”

Using only the mobile number?! They won’t tell me how this number is verified. They also won’t give me want more information and say I have to take it up with googleplay.

My only hope is that now I’ve told them it’s been done through boku, googleplay can find the charges.

Google play had the phone number boku used to confirm the charges. They said it they couldn’t find anything based on that. At no point did they suggest boku might be involved!

pmduk

This is a step forward, though it might not feel like it. I hope you've forwarded this info to the PSA.

Like it or not, Boku is still required to provide tangible evidence of the purchase(s) being made. Looking at their website, they seem pretty ignorant of UK requirements.

paulmu

Boku needs to be forced to give you details of how these payments were authorised. The quickest way to do this is probably by sending them 'letter before action' stating that you intend to use the Small Claims procedure to recover the money they have taken from your phone account. This might galvanise them into action.


It's unfortunate that you are unable to find the SIM card as this would eliminate the possibility that someone has found it and used it to generate these charges.


Another possibility is SIM card fraud where someone has persuaded EE to issue a new SIM card on the same number, on the pretext that the old one was lost or damaged. There have been number of cases like this recently, where the network has not carried out proper security checks before issuing a new SIM.


You need to obtain details of the Google account responsible for these charges. You also need to know, and can reasonably expect to be told, what was purchased. This might give you a clue as to what has happened.


In the meantime keep on at Boku to tell you how and when they verified the phone number used for these charges. If you haven't already, involve the Phone-paid Services Authority in this, as their code of Conduct requires companies to provide this information.


Paul

pmduk

Paulmu, IIRC didn't EE introduce a 2-step authorisation method to prevent this sort of thing?

paulmu

pmduk

Yes, they introduced two factor authorisation for 'Payforit' subscriptions in February 2018. It has been successful in reducing 'Payforit' scams on the EE network.
However I think the arrangement with Boku doesn't fall into the 'Payforit' category. As I understand it, EE have a contract with Boku, allowing them to handle these payments. So Boku are responsible for the authorisation of these payments. I believe Boku are registered under the FCA. Looking at the facts of this case, I don't think two factor authorisation would have helped. If a fraudster has a phone with SIM in it, it is easy for them to accrue charges against that SIM. The person to whom the SIM is registered will be held responsible for the charges.

The PSA Code still DOES apply. Boku are required to show robust proof of consent. There have been very few complaints about Boku, so in this case we may be looking at a case of SIM card fraud.

However, the difficulty that the OP has had in getting answers to quite reasonable questions is symptomatic of all that is wrong with these complex 'charge to bill' systems.

Dawnt

So Boku are refusing to give me more info or to say how the charges were verified. Google play asked for me to ask EE for “correlation IDs”. When I passed on this request EE sent me the same info I’ve already had, which I’ve provided to google play repeatedly. I have asked them if the numbers are correlation IDs or if they don’t have those and they have not replied.

I feel completely stuck and lost. I’m looking at the “letter before action” route but am completely overwhelmed by it all.

its_all_over

Dawnt wrote: »

So Boku are refusing to give me more info or to say how the charges were verified. Google play asked for me to ask EE for “correlation IDs”. When I passed on this request EE sent me the same info I’ve already had, which I’ve provided to google play repeatedly. I have asked them if the numbers are correlation IDs or if they don’t have those and they have not replied.

I feel completely stuck and lost. I’m looking at the “letter before action” route but am completely overwhelmed by it all.

Have you tried emailing the executive.office @ EE? They might have more authority to get the relevant information from the technical department for you.

paulmu

its_all_over wrote: »

Have you tried emailing the executive.office @ EE? They might have more authority to get the relevant information from the technical department for you.

Or better still, send them a copy of your letter before action. I think you have been more than patient about this. EE, Boku and Google Play all seem to be dragging this out (and saying it's not their problem!)in the hope you will go away. You need to force them to take you seriously.

pmduk

What is the PSA saying? As paulmu says it isn't your job to prove these charges

DawnTodd

Ive had to make a new account but I’m the OP and here is an update!

EE finally found more info (having said there was none) and I passed this to google. Three days later EE cut me off. This was months ago, maybe November. Google asked me some strange questions like to pick my carrier from a list of what looked like roaming providers. Eventually they said they couldn’t find the charges. I passed this on to EE who did not reply. They have not replied to any emails since.

Over Christmas I had a debt collection notice re the account. I also had an email from googleplay saying they had refunded EE for the charges. I thought that would be it.

Then a fortnight later I received another demand from the debt collector. I emailed EE. No response.

Two weeks later (this week). I received another bill from EE stillcharhing me the money googleplay said they’d refunded.

I had tried to keep things in writing so as to have a paper trail but was forced to ring them at this point.

I did so and eventually spoke to a manager who accepted that google had refunded them, and eventually agreed to reinstate my line (not had any data though), issue my pac code and wipe my contract whe I activate that. I had 14 months left to run on the contract.

No one has told me what actually happened or how a company of never heard of (Boku) were allowed to charge my account for hundreds of pounds I didn’t consent to.

Today I’ve had an email from the debt collector asking for written proof from EE that the charges no longer stand. I don’t have any as I had to ring them. I have told them this and said they will need to speak to their client themselves. They are being paid and I am not! I have had months of huge inconvenience and sold days of leg work and will do no more.

My new sim has just arrived with a different provider and I am crossing my fingers that that’s the end of it.