Question: I have received my debit/credit card statement and there is a transaction on there which is showing "O2 Prepay Slough" and I haven't done it! What is it for?
Answer: Someone has obtained your card details
(and not from O2!) and has used them to buy a
O2 top-up.
The reason it has got
O2 Slough on your debit/credit card statement is
not because the fraud is originating there but is because Slough is where O2's HQ is and all top-up payments are processed there.
When a top-up is bought through one of the automated systems
(for example: the top-up line or a web top-up), a number of security questions will be asked and would need to be answered correctly before the top-up is allowed.
If the security questions are answered correctly, then O2 assumes that it is you making the transaction as they haven't got any way in knowing that it isn't you and after all, the security questions have been answered correctly.
This is why it is
vitally important to ensure that your card is 100% secure all of the time and this includes not borrowing your card to a family member or friend so that they can make a one-off top-up as your card will then be registered on their O2 Pay & Go account and it would then be easier for them if they wanted to do another top-up in the future.
Please do
NOT contact O2 Customer Services as there is absolutely
NOTHING that they can do for you. What you need to do is
contact your card issuer and report it as fraud and they will then liaise with O2's Fraud and Security Team on your behalf.
Note: Only the card issuer can liaise with O2's Security and Fraud Team and not yourself.It is then the responsibility of the card issuer to give you a refund and not O2.
Please also have a look at the site
here, which gives you very useful information about how to protect yourself against fraud and identity theft.
