Stroller was it this one? *SECURITY WARNING* The one-time code you requested will arrive shortly. If someone's calling you and asking for a code, please end the call because they DO NOT work for O2. If you suspect fraud, call us on 202 so we can protect your account.
No, it was a text from 65075 giving me a PAC number and saying they really hope I don't decide to switch.
Mine just came from O2 and I haven’t been with them for years. Contacted them and they have no record on my number or previous address. SKY whom I’m with now only have their non UK phone advisors available till tomorrow morning. I’ve frozen all but one if my cards till I can speak to someone in the morning. Thanks for highlighting your experience.
Were you considering switching? I don't understand (mainly because I'm not tech savvy) how they got control of your credit card?
So sorry Stroller. From your story it feels like the system is weighted in favour of the crooks. For those who may not know, the ability to suspend your cards via the relevant app is a very useful feature.
No I wasn't considering switching. There's some explanation of how it works here.... What the Carriers Are Doing About SIM Card Fraud & How to Stop It (clark.com) I don't get how they could get information about my various accounts via the sim card, but they would have to have gained the basic details before changing passwords via the authorisation codes that get sent to my phone number. These are some of the methods they use to get account details.... Stolen Wallets or Lost Credit Cards: Physical theft of credit cards still occurs. If you misplace your wallet or it gets stolen, criminals can immediately use your card without any additional steps1. Dumpster Diving for Cards and Account Details: Your discarded mail can be a source of credit card fraud. If you throw away pre-approved cards, accidentally discard replacement cards, or fail to shred statements, anyone can retrieve them from the trash and use them1. “Friendly” Fraud: Surprisingly, family members or friends you trust can be perpetrators of credit card fraud. They might have access to your cards and use them without permission, or even open a credit card in your name1. Card Skimmers or Shimmers: Criminals use small devices called skimmers to collect data from a card’s magnetic strip. They then create cloned cards. Shimmers are an evolution of skimmers; instead of stealing magnetic strip data, they intercept chip information from card readers1. Stealing Card Details over Public Wi-Fi: Open wireless connections in places like coffee shops and airports are unsafe. Hackers can perform “man-in-the-middle” attacks to intercept your connection and collect data, including credit card information1. RFID Collection: Criminals intercept contactless payments (RFID) to obtain card details. If they skim or “shim” your card, they create a cloned card and engage in financial fraud1. Phishing Emails or Texts: Scammers send fraudulent emails or texts, pretending to be legitimate institutions, to trick you into revealing your card details1. Installing Malware or Spyware on Your Device: Cybercriminals infect your computer or phone with malicious software to capture sensitive information, I really doubt that any of these applies in my case, but I suppose that at lease one of them must. Alternatively, there are people who sell this information on the dark web.
Strolls, do you have any mobile security on your phone ((VPN/malware blocker etc) and did you download any new apps shortly before the scam hit? I know from past experience (not mine, family) that some app developers sell your details on the dark web after you have put them into whatever app you have downloaded. In most cases this just results in a massive upsurge of scam calls trying to con you into stuff, but presumably could also result in the crime you have encountered. Apple/iOS devices tend to be more secure than android ones as well.
No, I don't have security on my phone. I have McAfee on my PC and laptop though and will install it on my phone (which is an Android) when I get a new contract. I haven't downloaded any new apps on my phone recently. The thing is, these ****ers have changed my passwords for all kinds of sites (even one as inconsequential as Sky Super 6), so it's not a question of getting hold of one account - it's everything! This leads me to believe that my PC or laptop must have been hacked, but as I said, I have security on these which hasn't detected anything. It's a ****ing nightmare.
It's such a puzzling minefield. I genuinely sympathise. I suppose, what everyone should do, when receiving any text from any company that doesn't quite make sense, as you did, is to treat it as a scam. These are ****s!
This will help you find out if any of your email addresses are compromised. Mine was, through a data leak on LinkedIn, a few years ago. Results in huge volumes of spam and some nasty stuff as well. Took me an age to seal everything linked to that address off and shut the email account down. https://haveibeenpwned.com/
Reading through this just makes me angry, I can't imagine how you are feeling cuz! I can't believe they can't do this or that these companies are playing us for fools. My other half was phished a couple of months back and she had a similar situation where 900 euros was spent but the goods were going to be picked up at the store but was told there was nothing they could do. I called them back and suggested they arrest the person who collects the purchase, they hadn't thought of that!!!!
This is just 1 of 1000's of complaints made by an O2 customer, all of whom have been scammed. From March 2023 until now, O2 has 70% more claims from customers involving fraudulent activity. The company really is no longer fit for purpose, and I can't recommend strongly enough to you, to leave them for another company ! Sorry to hear about your troubles with these absolute scum. Hope you get everything sorted ASAP
Amongst all the incompetence I've encountered in this sorry episode, Lloyd's have been absolutely brilliant. I received a replacement card today and had to speak to the fraud department to unfreeze the account so that I could activate it. The chap I spoke to told me that, when they declined the fraudulent attempt to spend £900 on my account, the scumbags actually had the temerity to phone customer services (from my number of course) to ask them why it was being blocked!
You have my sympathy mate, this is outrageous and infuriating. If the digital world becomes too risky, we’re ****ed. I have a fraud case going on with hmrc at the moment. I was advised that I owe hmrc over £200k in unpaid tax for numerous people I supposedly have employed. I work alone. The time taken up on the phone sorting it out is a nightmare. Hope it’s sorted soon.
Agree. Having passwords for everything these days is a royal pain. But using a password vault is not only better for safety but is practical too for access to other safe information you have or need.
And so it goes on. I had a letter today from a company called Credability (a credit broker) saying that an account had been opened with them in my name which they believe may have been fraudulent. It was of course, and I've confirmed that. What next?
