Fraud Awareness & Learnings

[ForBuckSake]

Hi all,

I've been hacked/scammed etc and wanted to share my learnings.

Firstly if you get random messages from O2, dont ignore them as if you didnt initiate them then you are being hacked. Especially SMS about a PAC request or verification codes.

Scammers managed to get my 02 service ported to Vodaphone, I only noticed when my phone showed No Service. Ok that sometimes happens and resolves, but this went on too long. In the meantime they were spending fraudulently on my credit card.

Of course I couldnt use any apps since they verify you through... SMS to your mobile!

Fortunately I had access to a land line so could call in the credit card fraud and stop that. However I didn't realise the reason for my phone no working til I called O2 who explained I'd asked for it to be ported on Monday! How could scammers do this I wondered, have they hacked 02? I certainly wasnt asking to move my account.

I've reported this to 02 and it is being investigated though oddly the help line person said they could restore my number which if true suggests the scammers just wanted to disable my phone while they defrauded me.

I await to hear back from 02 as to how a scammer can port my number but wanted to share this warning not to ignore unexpected SMS from 02 or a 65075 SMS number.

Good luck.

[Bambino]

@ForBuckSake Unfortunately your experience is nothing new. It's been happening for years.

If you think you’ve been the victim of fraud – whether it’s because you’ve given details to someone over the phone, or clicked on a link in a suspicious text or email there are things you can do:
Contact your bank if you think you may have given out financial information. They can help protect your account and stop transactions.
Change your account and online account passwords. Not just your O2 account. All of them.
Forward fraudulent texts to O2 for free on 7726.
Contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
Call your Virgin Media or O2 customer services number if you think somebody’s taken out a contract using your details.
Virgin Media customers can phone 150 from their landline or 0345 454 1111 from any other phone.
O2 customers can call 202 from their O2 phone or 0344 809 0202 from any other phone.

You can block the number that called you, or any number you think may be suspicious.

How to block a number:

https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS00062352/

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201229

There are also these links to look at:

https://www.o2.co.uk/help/safety-and-security/phishing-and-smishing-advice
https://www.o2.co.uk/help/safety-and-security/unwanted-calls-and-messages
https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/