Third party charges fraud Tap2Pay / O2

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

I have an O2 Mobile Broadband data only SIM in a router.

Today I have found that I am the victim of the outrageous third party charges scam which O2 have condoned for years...

The company Tap2Pay have made charges against my bill, which o2 have allowed without my authority.

As is the usual story, I have never knowingly or willingly requested any "services" from this company or any others. They have clearly created some fraudulent advert, link or the like which I have been forced into clicking on or done so without my knowledge due to it being designed this way. I am not a computer Newbie and I am well aware of dodgy adverts etc but the point is clear, the same people that are creating phishing emails, spam, malware and malicicious adverts are routinely exploiting the third party charges system to commit fraud.

The worst part about this is that o2 are condoning it and refuse to act in order to protect their customers.

o2 even instructed me, the victim, to make contact with the offenders by means of a Premium rate phone number so that I could be further exploited.

A quick google and search of just this forum shows that this is a MASSIVE issue and these fraudsters are raking in Millions. I would guess that o2 are silent because they are creaming off a healthy profit from it too.

I think enough is enough and so have reported it to ActionFraud and the Phone paid services authority but given the lack of action to thousands of other such complaints I don't hold out much hope and so have now opted to make contact with BBC Watchdog.

If you have been a victim or know someone that has and you are willing to speak with the BBC then please PM me and lets try and get this in the public eye!

I

[MI5]

Complain to the regulator - it's the only way it will stop https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Pay-Monthly-and-Pay-Go/Have-you-fallen-for-or-been-conned-into-a-premi...

[gindygoo]

Wondering if it is a definite fact that O2 don't earn any money to provide the third party billing thingy that facilitates this type of scam? Surely O2 don't provide this facility for free to these companies?

It's a genuine question btw, as I'm curious now it's been bandied about both for and against it. 😱

[jonsie]

I'm sure there will be a built in small percentage. Others may disagree but only someone from O2 can answer definitively. 

[MI5]

Vodafone told ITV News it receives "a small percentage of the overall charge" that premium rate text firms charges customers.

Network O2 would not confirm if its makes a profit, but said that it pays an independent audit house to "continuously and proactively" monitor websites and apps offering premium text services to check that "their payment flows are compliant with PhonepayPlus and our own internal audit standards."

EE and Three refused to comment.

https://tinyurl.com/jojw7ex

*tinyurl because of a date in the link which the useless filter on here interprets as personal info!

[gindygoo]

Thanks @jonsie & @MI5

I've been pondering and no matter what the reasons ppl unwittingly end up subscribed to these things are (not being careful enough on fb/social media in general, or not being savvy enough to realise a 'free comp' is really a sign-up to a service. Or even genuinely scammed into it.) It's still being signed up without expressly wanting to in a lot of cases. So what would the reasons be why the regulator hasn't clamped down and made it double or triple consent verification needed? I mean if you had to enter your details yourself and give permission and then do it again on a separate screen surely that'd stop a lot of the grief it causes??

Imo there has to be a financial incentive somewhere for them to not clamp down in a way that stops it happening. What's your guys thoughts?

[MI5]

I've been advocating a 2 step verification process on here for ages, but only the regulator can impose that.

[jonsie]

These scams have been going on for years and this spineless body has done nothing. Why? Heaven knows but these rogue companies or one person in his bedroom are making thousands out of unsuspecting people.

[Beenherebefore]

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@jonsie wrote:

These scams have been going on for years and this spineless body has done nothing. Why? 

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Because legislation as regards anything internet is 5 years behind and it will never catch up because the people devising these schemes are more clever than the people devising the legislation.

[Dan6]

Hi,

I am also victim of a similar Scam. O2 simply increased the fees without further notice in order to accomodate the "engagement" that I had with the third party.

[Dan6]

The third party is my case not willing to refund the money. Got tricked with an email for "being selected for testing an Iphone". Was stupid enough as I heard that friends of friends really got to test the new Iphone.

You cant trust anybody nowadays. The regulator is shooting himself in the feet as nobody will buy anything anywhere what will reduce growth. Complete nonsense all this.