Help after being Scammed

[SMMOOOOO16]

Good Afternoon

Just thought I would share this with the community for awareness and maybe a potential solution as well.

Yesterday evening I was browsing the internet on my mobile and whilst browsing I was directed towards a pornographic website which appeared in a new window. The website prevented me from closing the page easily and several minutes later I received the following text message informing me I had been charged £18:00.

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I didn’t pay much attention to the text since I thought it was just a scam but this morning I checked my account and I had been charged £18.00 to which I must say I was a little surprised by and am still struggling to understand how simply by visiting a website unintentionally I could be charged £18.00!

I carried out a bit of research prior to calling customer services and found that this appears to be a scam, I have included a link below which provides some information

http://www.smswatchdog.com/text-message-from/02035405930?l

Having had a look into this I called through to O2 customer services I was speaking with Jade, after explaining the issue and my concerns she promptly hung up on me! Not a great start!

I subsequently called back and spoke to another member of the O2 customer services team and explained what happened. He advised me that there was nothing O2 could do in terms of the charges that had been made and I would need to contact the retailer directly to request a refund.

I then questioned him about what I could do to prevent my mobile from being charged further, he stated that the only options were that I be more careful with my browsing in future or alternatively I change my mobile number.

Given I didn’t intentionally browse to this site and changing my mobile number really would be a last resort, I have had my current number for over 10 years and use it for business I asked what preventative measures were in place to prevent customers from being exploited against known scams such as this.

I asked if scams such as this are known does O2 not query such transactions? the answer was no.

Is O2 able to put a block on my account preventing charges of this nature? the answer is no.

I find it quite unbelievable that there are no preventative measures in place to protect people from being charged in this way.

I compare the situation to me having a credit card, if there is any unusual activity on that credit card or if it looks as if it is being used for a known scam the credit card company will take preventative action to prevent the consumer from being exploited.

Currently I feel exceptionally vulnerable, I have been a victim of a scam, O2's advice is to contact the vendor/scammer directly to try to obtain a refund which I have attempted but as expected the phone number provided in the text message simply goes to an answerphone.

O2 is also stating that they do not have the ability to stop any further payments from this vendor which in all fairness I find astonishing and extremely concerning, potentially I could be liable for tens or hundreds of pounds worth of charges which I simply can do nothing about!

So is there a technical solution to prevent something like this happening in the future since O2 cant do anything to help me and reassure me, I’m still confused how going to a website they can obtain my phone number for instance, if I had Caller ID set to withhold would this prevent this?

Thanks

[MI5]

It would be a big selling factor for O2 too...

[Anonymous]

Thank you Toby

Look forward to anything back from the team on this.

[Anonymous]

There IS something you can do to stop this happening in the future.

The service is called "CHARGE TO MOBILE" and we all are opted in a standard (on contract at any rate). This gives these companies the facility to charge fees to your mobile account. Now of course there are legitimate companies out there who you may wish to pay via your mobile phone. This solution is all or nothing.

If you don't want ANY company other than o2 to bill to your account then phone o2 customer services and ask them to REMOVE CHARGE TO MOBILE from your account. (Not all agents especially those overseas have heard of it so if you don't get it sorted first time ring back or ask to be put through to the uk call centres).

Once you have had charge to mobile turned off these companies are unable to bill you but please note this is all our nothing so if you have a legitimate use for charge to mobile you have to make a choice.

[MI5]

Now I've not used the C2M service but surely there is some indication that you have to approve those charges before getting billed in a legitimate way?

[Anonymous]

In principle Rich these websites in particular are cunning. Click on the wrong link and you are billed and by doing so the company claims you are willingly buying their service (we all know that's rubbish of course).

From o2's perspective they see it as yet another service they offer to help their customers but in common with many companies these days as soon as there is a problem they wash their hands of it.

If it is on your o2 bill then i strongly even vehemently believe o2 should sort it.

[MI5]

Fair enough - Something I need to get removed from all my accounts then..... Cheers.

[SMMOOOOO16]

So is removing the "Charge to Mobile" the same as the "Direct to Bill debit bar" which was applied to my account when this happened to me?
Just wondering if i need to call up and request the "Charge to Mobile" to be removed from my account also.

[Anonymous]

Yes

From site manager.

"Here some info about direct to bill debit:



Charge to Mobile (Direct to Bill) is a new way to buy all things digital with your mobile. We’re making it faster, easier and safer to get the things you want from the merchants you like. Everything from games, music and videos to films, ebooks and apps, - if you’re on Pay & Go, we’ll take the cost from your credit, if you’re Pay Monthly, it’ll go on your mobile bill.

If a customer doesn’t want to use this service we can add a bar to the account at the customer’s request. We can also add the bar as part of debt prevention.



D2B bars can be put on got any C2M customer – either automatically for customers by CMS if they go over spending or into treatment (PAYM customers) or at the customer (account holder’s) request – both PAYM & PAYG"

[MI5]

I'm not 100% sure tbh - It's new so I'm not sure how it all works yet......

[Cleoriff]

Well as I am ever one to learn...but most of you know how much (or little) I do with my S3....is this something I should be doing??