**URGENT ACTION NEEDED* - VICTIM OF FRAUD

[Anonymous]

**URGENT ACTION NEEDED** - VICTIM OF FRAUD

Dear O2,

I have been a victim of fraud on my O2 account.

On Sunday 2nd July 2023, I received a call from an unknown number asking if had recently placed an order for an iPhone 14 Pro Max on a 3-year contract. The lady on the phone said they had noticed suspicious activity on the account (hence the call) as the delivery address for the order was in Bilston, whilst the correct address on my account is in Stourbridge. 

I told the lady that I didn't place such an order and she re-assured me that she would have everything cancelled. She sent me a 6-digit OTP on my number above which she asked me to read back. As she had all my details, I assumed it was a genuine call from o2 and I (regrettably) read back the OTP to her, however I believe this was a fraudulent call, and the lady simply asked for the OTP to place the order on my account. 

I can now see that my account has been updated with a new tariff for an iPhone 14 Pro Max on a 3-year contract. I have received continuous emails from o2 since, acknowledging the order etc. A tracking number was also provided which I checked on the DPD website and it appears the iPhone was delivered to the fraudulent address yesterday morning. 

I am in deep distress about this as I never placed this order and I now find myself owing £1,881.00 for a phone I never ordered. I am currently in the process of buying my first home, and really don't want my credit score to be affected by a bogus credit agreement. I have called o2 several times and they have advised that the incident has been reported to the fraud team and that I should get a response within 48 hours, however having looked through the o2 forums, I have noticed other people, who have also been victims to similar fraudulent activities on their accounts, have had to wait for weeks and months for their matters to be resolved. I have also emailed the fraud team to explain the same but am waiting to hear back.

To protect myself, and as suggested by one of your colleagues, I have cancelled my direct debit to avoid making any further payments until the matter has been looked at.

Can I please ask for this to be considered urgently?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you,

Hammad

[gmarkj · Accepted solution]

This is a customer community @Anonymous and we cannot do anything with your account.

If you have reported this order to o2's Fraud team then you need to wait for them to contact you.

Did you also report it to Action Fraud ( https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/protect-yourself/mobile-phone-fraud )  and your bank?

See some more help in the guide below:

Scam Alert Vishing, Smishing and Phishing Megaguide 

[EthanCCBrown]

I am also the victim of this kind of fraud, and it has also effected my chances of renting a property. Taking hours of calls and months of stress.

After a while O2 closed the accounts but I never received written confirmation. They then sold the debt to an independent debt collection agency, now requesting over £2000. 

I have lost all faith in ever using O2. Shoddy. Can't even help someone when it is their fault.

[wolfheart]

Hi, did you solve the issue?? My wife also has the same problem. Someones used her name to opened contract on vodafone, three, tesco mobile and o2. All companies closed my wife case as fraud, but not o2, they sent details to debt collection. She talked to Experian and received information that it looks like a fraud. Even though she spent many hours on the phone, o2 didn't help, or they kept telling me to wait 48 hours, we never received an email reply from 'o2fraudteam@o2.com'. Experian also waiting for a reply from o2, by September 25th... and I'm afraid that debt collection lowers wife scoring ( we want to buy a house), and since I don't have any help from 02, I guess I'll have to report to more institutions. Any chance of sorting this case??

[gmarkj]

Have you reported the fraud to o2 @wolfheart ?
You need to tell them as well as Experian.

Some thoughts from another similar thread:

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.

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/

[wolfheart]

Hi,Thanks.

Yes, we called Action Fraud, experian, and o2 on 08000321402. On this 0344 809 0202 they were always busy, we waited up to an hour. We reported fraud, we informed that the details was used in the several providers such as threee, tesco mobile and vodafone, all companies closed the case, except o2, we called o2 every time, they told us to wait until 30 working days, but they sent a letter to the Debt Collection . After several calls to o2, we keep hearing that we have to wait 48 hours, or I wait another 5-7 days and then wait 48 hours again. I know that Experian is waiting for a response from o2 as well, and the time has already passed.

And we are not and have never been o2 customers before.

[gmarkj]

Seeing as you are not getting much of a response, might be worth raising this as a complaint @wolfheart .

How to Complain | Help | O2 

Use the Resolver option, and include as much detail as you can.

[wolfheart]

Thanks.

Today we applying mortgage applications, and if my wife score for debt collection is lowered ( she has already been lowered for two O2 contracts, its fraud ) and I don't buy a house, I will start opening complaints wherever I can, such as Ombudsman, Citizen advice, Cirme victims, Experian, I will call again to the police and ask what I can do to how i can open a complain against o2.
Today I found out that o2 ignores Experian as well, they sent an email and got no response, today they sent another one to o2, but we don't have to wait 25 days, only have to call on Friday and find out, they will direct us too. Because it's definitely fraud. Thank you for your help

[TJC86]

Hi @wolfheart and @EthanCCBrown,

Have either of you had your cases resolved?

My wife is having the exact same issue. Fraudulent accounts were set up in her name in June and she has been chasing O2 ever since and nothing is being done. She keeps getting fobbed off with the same line - “a manager will contact you within 48 hours” and it never happens. She must have chased them at least 10 times. Today she received a letter from a debt collection agency demanding £2000!

She is at a loss on what to do. We need to reapply for our mortgage in the next few months and I think this will be a serious issue if this hasn’t been resolved by then.

Any help or advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated

[Oxonian]

@TJC86 

If that has been going on since June, you might want to consider a complaint :-

How to Complain | Help | O2

https://www.o2.co.uk/how-to-complain

Customer+Complaints+code+250523.pdf (o2.co.uk)

https://www.o2.co.uk/documents/456036/4246828/Customer+Complaints+code+250523.pdf

Please see the section headed Resolver on the former as they have a reputation for getting good results. 

However, please bear in mind that there might be criminal law and money laundering regulations reasons why you have not been updated. And if that remains the case, an update might still not be forthcoming.