Fraud

Highlander9 — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 16:11:22 GMT

I`ve just noticed there is around £15 added onto my bill every month under Premium and Information Services. On investigation i found it was a company called Opera Telecom LTD and a scam. They are taking the money in dribs and drabs £1.25 at a time.

It started when i renewed my contract / phone last november.

Can any one tell me how i can stop the money coming out and maybe even get my money back?

Re: Fraud

Payforit_Sucks — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 20:59:55 GMT

@Highlander9 wrote:
Hi
I`ve just noticed there is around £15 added onto my bill every month under Premium and Information Services. On investigation i found it was a company called Opera Telecom LTD and a scam. They are taking the money in dribs and drabs £1.25 at a time.
It started when i renewed my contract / phone last november.
Can any one tell me how i can stop the money coming out and maybe even get my money back?

@Highlander9

Were these premium texts arising from 87070?

The O2 number checker incorrectly has this number listed as Opera Telecom Ltd. It isn't. actually, the number is a "shared shortcode" operated by a company called Oxygen8.

Oxygen8 Communications Limited,
12th Floor, Lyndon House,
58 – 62 Hagley Road,
Birmingham,
B16 8PE,

Email: customercare.uk<at>oxygen8.com Tel: 0808 206 0808

One of the "services"using this number was a scam called Grocery Offer Alerts, operated by a Cypriot company called Mekersia

Mekersia Limited
Navarinou 6, Flat 101
Engomi
2416
Cyprus

Tel 01451604444

Email: support@mekersia.com

We investigated this service and discovered that they were using a vulnerability in the system which allowed any valid number to be "subscribed" to the service by fraudsters.

The video below, in which we subscribed a phone to this service without it even being turned on is shown below.

The obvious vulnerability is that the PIN number, which should have been sent by text to the phone, was displayed on the signup screen.

When we discovered this fraud, we notified the regulator (the Phone-paid Services Authority) Oxygen8 Ltd (the level 1 supplier responsible for the service), Mekersia Ltd (the service provider) and Square 1 Ltd (who operated the PIN verification for the service). Although none of these had the courtesy to reply, the exploit was removed at about 8:00 pm on 29th March.

There have been many complaints about this "service", and there is evidence that some of the numbers fraudulently "subscribed" were harvested from Gumtree advertisements.

https://who-called.co.uk/Number/87070

Assuming that this is the service responsible for your charges, contact Mekersia to insist on a full refund. You should alo complain to the regulator.

At a time like this, O2 should be ashamed that they are continuing to facilitate and profit from these scams.

Re: Fraud

Highlander9 — Sun, 12 Apr 2020 12:32:58 GMT

At the beginning of April after fo;;owing your advice, I contacted Mekersia and Oxygen8. I asked them both to stop removing money from my O2 account immediately and refund the total amount. I recieved a phone call from Mekersia and was told money would be refunded. Since then no more money has been taken from my acount. As yet no refund but at least I am not any worse off. Thank you for helping me with this matter.

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