02 selling phone numbers?

[LostSock]

I'm already an O2 customer, contract, runs out in July. I ordered a PAYG sim for a smartwatch I have, and within 24 hours I was getting bombarded with calls from the same number. I Googled the number, suspecting it was dodgy and came across this - https://who-called.co.uk/Number/03333440541

Clearly shows many, many others being pestered by the same number within hours or days of ordering an 02 sim.

I also received this text today - O2:We were unable to process your latest bill. In order to avoid fees, please update your payment information via: <link removed>

Confirmed on this very site to be a scam.

Now it's no coincidence this all happened within a short while after ordering an 02 sim, so I've just come here to let it be known to 02, I will not be extending my contract with you, and I've thrown the PAYG sim away as I wouldn't give you the steam off my piddle. I think it's deplorable you blatantly give peoples numbers away to known scammers with threads all over the Internet. There's loads of threads on this very site, I wonder if the people are aware it's O2 themselves to blame for them being harassed? I wanted a free sim, NOT to be targeted by some Indian fraud gang Jim Browning is probably infiltrating at some point.

Absolutely disgusting business practice, giving their own customers numbers to fraudsters? Wtf is that all about?

And before some smart Alec makes a snide comment about clicking on Opting in or out of promo material, I always click Do Not Want, or unclick if they've sneakily tried to make it that way. In 18 months I've never had an issue with my number or getting scam calls, within the space of 3 days and giving my number to 02, the people I pay good money to each month I might add, I've had 20 or so calls and a phishing SMS. Up yours 02.

[Anonymous]

Hope you find your other sock!

[jonsie]

I have always known O2 numbers are being sold on and have said so many times on here. This, despite O2 denials. It's a terrible state of affairs in the clamour to fleece customers of their money all the while pretending to be O2.

The biggest problem is that O2 have 'trusted' business partners with whom they share their data base. It's highly likely that it is one of those partners that sell the details on.Mobile numbers and customer personal details are the crumbs that these sharks feed on.

Pure gold in the wrong hands!!

[Pinhead_1970]

this happended to me 5 hours after requesting the PAYG sim, lucky enough i was able to cancel my debit card in time, O2 are the worst, i will cancel all the products i have with them

[gmarkj]

It might not be o2 - almost all numbers now are recycled meaning that they will have been used before.
As such, it will probably exist in a database somewhere with someone and will already be receiving spam...