Phone fraud ? how does this work?

Ollie78

Over the last couple of days I have had an odd time with a phone scam. I know I must be daft (mostly tired).
 
First they rang me offering a dealon a new phone that seemed great. I initially declined as I am nearing the end of my contractetc.
They called me again and I got them to send an email confirming the offer etc, anyway I said ok go for it (I don`t know why I guess they are good at it).
This morning I rang them to cancel before they sent anything, too late they had already sent the phone etc.
So I wanted a galaxy s22 ultra on vodaphone, this morning they sent me 2 I phone 12 with O2 sim cards ??

I have made them send me a return label and sent them back.
Interesting details are their registered address on the website is a house in Leeds, the phone numbers are London and I returned them to a different house in Bolton !!

I cancelled my debit card and informed my bank straight away in case any funny business goes on.

I am trying to work out how they get money out of this, I guess they will try to use my details to order goods or something. But they must have paid for the Iphones and sim things in some way (or are they stolen ?) and even the postage label to return was valued at £8 something and they must have had the same cost to DHL it to me.
There must be profit in it, perhaps they are semi legitimate just rubbish but it is all really strange.
The bank fraud guy said it could be a 2 stage thing where they will later call me pretending to be tha bank or something.
I have photographed the serial numbers on the sims and the boxes, maybe I could ring O2 and see if they know whats going on.

If you google their phone number you get a who calls me link which reports it as various nonsense.

Ollie

[Deleted User]

Ollie78 said:

I cancelled my debit card and informed my bank straight away in case any funny business goes on.

If you gave them your card details, you'll already have authorised the funny business. Cancelling the card doesn't achieve anything apart from leaving you without a card.

You'll probably be charged and then need to chase up a chargeback if it's not refunded.

The bank is correct in that you'll now be a on a suckers list and so could also be called by people offering to help your get your money back, in return for you giving them your card details. Don't take them up on the offer.

Ollie78

Deleted_User said:

Ollie78 said:

I cancelled my debit card and informed my bank straight away in case any funny business goes on.

If you gave them your card details, you'll already have authorised the funny business. Cancelling the card doesn't achieve anything apart from leaving you without a card.

You'll probably be charged and then need to chase up a chargeback if it's not refunded.

The bank is correct in that you'll now be a on a suckers list and so could also be called by people offering to help your get your money back, in return for you giving them your card details. Don't take them up on the offer.

I have spoken to O2 fraud team just now and sent them pictures of the codes on the boxes and the sims so hopefully if these are used they will know its not to do with me. They said they have encountered this method before. 

What else can I do now ? Apart from change my identity completely. 

Ollie

Neil49

What happens is that when you place your order with them they place an order with a genuine phone company (using your card details etc) but for a different phone (or phones in your case) 

You contact them to complain, they apologise for the mistake and ask you to return the phones to them. 

They have your phones and you have a debit on your credit card account (and nothing more!) 

Browntoa

Sorry to sound harsh but why would anyone these days , after all the stories in the press , hand their details over to a cold caller ?

Brie

May very well be a reconditioned phone rather than new to cut the cost to them even further. 

Carrot007

Ollie78 said:

I have made them send me a return label and sent them back.
Interesting details are their registered address on the website is a house in Leeds, the phone numbers are London and I returned them to a different house in Bolton !!

I'm sure that was their plan all along. Be expected to be saddled with 2 o2 contracts unless you return the phone and card to them.