FRAUD FRAUD And collusion in fraud by O2

[Anonymous]

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!
PLEASE SHARE!
I never ask for anything to be shared but for your own sake YOU NEED TO SHARE THIS and get this fraud stopped!
If you own a smart phone; and have direct debit then you are WIDE OPEN to be defrauded by a SCAM and your bank account pillaged & emptied, and there is currently absolutely NOTHING you can do about it! 
The scam is run by a company called KKO Mobile, also known as MyDoo and is owned by another Company called CellFish. 

In some way, either by a virus, hidden button in an app or other subversive method, they subscribe you to a premium rate service. This can be £5 a week but could change to any time period like daily/ hourly etc. 
This is billed directly through your mobile operator in my case O2; and O2 have direct access to my current account via direct debit. As it turns out you have no protection against fraud committed in this way at all believe it or not, I couldn't believe it! 
So in effect KKO Mobile can make an app, that subscribes you to their service, empties your bank account and walk away! They are based in France. 
After calling O2, they will not accept any responsibility for the fraud, even though it was facilitated through the O2 payment system! O2 refuse to pay back money stolen using their system. 
As I have found out O2 and the other operators apparently have no interest in closing this loophole as conveniently they receive a percentage of the profits! 
For the record, I categorically did not enter into any form of contract with KKO Mobile, and have not accepted any agreements, like thousands of others, basically was completely unaware of the scam!
As it appears O2 have completely failed to ensure any form of due diligence in protecting my finances, and they are not to be trusted at all. 

I've called them to remove my bank account details with immediate effect ! 
There is a regulatory body called PhonePayPlus that appear utterly useless; both them and O2 have had complains since 2010 and have done NOTHING! Conveniently they are also funded by the networks...

This situation is completely unacceptable. A criminal, bogus and fraudulent 3rd party should not be able to scam your finances and this be facilitated by the network provider, with no redress. This is effectively colluding in fraud! 
I've made an official complaint to the police, theft through fraud, and to phonepayplus.org.uk and passed this onto my solicitor.

IN ORDER TO PROTECT YOURSELF, THE ONLY THING I CAN THINK OF IS DO WHAT I HAVE DONE, AND THAT IS CANCEL THE DIRECT DEBIT AND PAY EACH MONTH. 
THAT IS UNTIL I FIND A WAY TO STOP THIS LOOPHOLE.

In the mean time be very vigilant of any texts that say you are subscribed to anything, although sending stop is most likely another scam! 
There's no way O2 aren't aware of this!!! you only need to google KKO Mobile Scam

Utterly disgraceful of O2. 

It would be only reasonable to trust O2 with regard to my finances; and to expect them to excersise a level of due diligence with regard to protecting me as a customer; unfortunatly O2 have shown absolute disregard, and complete neglegence in allowing a 3rd party to perpetrate a criminal and fraudulant activity. In effect O2 facilitated the crime, and allowed direct access to my fiances to unscrupulous 3rd parties and are fully aware of the level of complains raised against KKO Mobile. There is a very real danger of KKO mobile completly clearing out  your current account, and no-one is accountable! 

Return my stolen money O2...!

Utterly disgusted O2 customer!

[MI5]

Our advice is to NEVER cancel the DD to O2.
This will be much more painful to the customer in the long run......

[viridis]

An example:
I make an app, just a flappy bird copy or anything.
I set it's permissions for the Google play store as phone state and identity, user info, account information.
Google notifies you of this but as hardly anyone reads them, you click INSTALL.

That's 1 authorisation

2nd, while playing chappy bird a full screen popup appears telling you about so many ringtones direct to your mobile for £4.50 per week. What you don't notice is the small print hidden under the android soft keys that say "click back to close this page or click the x box if you agree to our t&c's which can be viewed by clicking the image in this advert. Fuelled by desktop window closing habit and without reading hidden small print, you click x

That's 2 authorisations.

Next you get a text
Thankfully for subscribing to superscam media, to stop these msgs please send STOP to 12345
So you do, and now I don't even need to send you a text explaining how you will be charged or send a text each month thanking you for payment. Your text is treated as an opt out of further information, that's all and as such...

That's 3 and your mobile bill is mine.

[Anonymous]

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@MI5 wrote:
Our advice is to NEVER cancel the DD to O2.
This will be much more painful to the customer in the long run......

---

@That is very interesting advice @MI5 and I am sure it is solidly based.  However,  I wonder if anyone in the Community could please point out for us specifically where in the T&Cs and Contract documentation that O2 customers enter into with O2 it permits O2 to collect from customers via DD charges in respect of goods and/or services provided by third parties and for which O2 have no responsibility whatever.   It would also be interesting to know if this is a legally enforceable arrangement.  

Gerry

[Toby]

Hi PlanckConstant,

Im Toby, the O2 Community coordinator.
Please send me a private message and we can have a chat about this, as well as sorting it out for you so that you have piece of mind.

[viridis]

Here @Anonymous

2.8 You're solely responsible for assessing the accuracy and completeness of Content and the value, age-appropriateness and integrity of goods and services offered by third parties over our Service including if you pay for that Content, or those goods or services using our Service(s). Unless otherwise specified, we will not be responsible for, any transaction for third party goods and services, unless we're negligent.

[Anonymous]

"I also find it scandalous though, that someone with MOD, Police and government clearance in the field of NETWORK SECURITY of all things, fell victim to what is in most part, an easily avoidable scam." 

What part of fraudulent, scam, virus, and "at no point have agreed to, clicked upon, or entered into any agreement" BECOUSE IT WAS HIDDEN! do you not quite understand????

How exactly is it an easily avoidable scam, when the people subscribed are completely unaware of the scam...?

How is easily avoidable when there was a deliberate act to hide, deceive and or fraudulently obtain money by DECEPTION! That's the hole point, and why thousands of other have been deceived by this fraud! 

That's like stating you had you credit card scammed through hidden malware on your; or a merchants system and that somehow this is your fault because you didn't spot it. Get real!!!

By the very nature of the way this fraud is perpetrated, it is underhand and either not easy to spot, or simply happens in the background and impossible to detect!

It is impossible to 100% protect from electronic fraud, malware or hidden code; that is why banks, credit cards etc offer fraud protection and are accountable.

That is unless you are a telecoms operator who simply allows billing direct to your account and seeming has no due diligence in this respect and fails to act on complaints of theft. And offers zero protection against it's customers being defrauded whilst actually making it feasible...!

[Anonymous]

[viridis]

No its like getting a credit card and the issuer stating before you accept, we will also send out your account and pin to someone who may or may not use it. Of course you wouldn't agree.
Of course it's underhand, of course it's deceitful but it's not o2, they are acting in good faith and invoicing an authorised transaction.
I would contact payforit and ask for a breakdown of all transactions toward your telephone number through them, you should also request what authorisation they received to make these charges. You should also request a full refund and request your number be put on their blacklist, that will stop anyone from being able to make a service charge to your number.
And no, I'm not an idiot.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

The method used to subscribe unsuspecting users is either by virus or bogus button, or trojan within an app.

Please don't try to insult my intelegence in the matter; I'm reasonably qualified to make a statement in this respect, being a network security specialst, being police, MOD and government security cleared and having some idea what I'm talking about. 

I can write a malicious code and place it on your pc within 10 mins, get your bank details and hijack your acount; you wouldn't know.

This scam is purpetrated by a trojan or malicious app code. end of! do not try and insult my intelegence with stupid comments! I wouldn't be wasting my time with the Police, and O2 or the fairies at phonepayplus for £50 otherwise.  It's hardely over an hours pay, and I have better things to do. 

I so so so so so so so want to take issue with each and every one of these paragraphs. Internet anonymity is a great and wonderous thing I guess.

But rather than take the mick, Dazza, I'll point you in the direction of some guidance on what to do and how to get your money back (which coincidentally doesn't involve O2):

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/stop-spam-texts#premium

[Toby]

Hi everyone,
I am now dealing with this privately with the OP member so shall be closing this thread.

Cheers