Scam premium numbers

[Serynr]

After having problems with a scam premium number for games and being charged for something i am not using at a cost of £4.50 per week, even after texting STOP,  i have had difficulty getting it stopped. Hopefully o2 now have managed it, but would it be possible to have a permission text from o2 checking that we have agreed to using it?

[Cleoriff · Accepted solution]

Help here @Serynr https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Pay-Monthly-Pay-and-Go/Have-you-fallen-for-or-been-conned-into-a-premi...

It contains all actions to be taken. O2 normally wont get involved as some people sign up for these services willingly. They arent to know whether you wanted it or not

[MercedesS]

Hello @Serynr, 

Thanks for participating and sharing your thoughts with us. We do appreciate your opinion and understand your concerns about premium numbers. We will make sure that your feedback reaches O2

Welcome to the O2 community and please your feedback coming. 

[Bambino]

@Serynr You can also report the scam here: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/

[Anonymous]

This happened to me a few months back. I left my phone in the house while I was cutting the grass & when I came back to it.. mysterious texts saying I’d signed up to a similar service. I live alone, the phone was locked & only I know the code.. which to my mind means it was a scam.

I didn’t text stop back as it suggested, but I rang the helpline number associated with and complained. They gave me an email address and a phone number. so I emailed my complaint.

Now as it turns out more often than not. The helpline is nothing to do with the company who provide the service, which was the case here! They gave me a different number to ring and I did. The company said I must’ve signed up and wouldn’t believe me. So I asked them (as I had in the email) to provide proof of how I’d signed up.. clicked a button on explorer / chrome / Firefox.. on a mobile / a tablet / or a PC.. Or whether I had text them. 

 By law they have to have this data and have to provide it when it is requested... but they said I had to wait a few days for the details. A few days passed and I’d heard nothing. So I rang them again and they said they hadn’t got it.

Smelling a rat I then contacted the Phone Paid Services Authority, click HERE who gave me lots of advice on what to say, to speak to & who to email. (I’d already done this) The PSA cannot guarantee your money back but they do lodge complaints with the company and they do report back to the governing body on cases such as this.

 btw .. The offending company couldn’t provide anyone with details on how they got me to sign up (because I didn’t) and I got my £3 back, they said it was a goodwill gesture. I like to think it’s because I kept harassing them with emails & calls & maybe some help from the PSA.

Give them a try.. what have you got to lose?

[MI5]

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@Serynr wrote:

but would it be possible to have a permission text from o2 checking that we have agreed to using it?

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It's something we have asked for many times on here.

Regulation needs to be much more forceful to stop these scumbags.

[Cleoriff]

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@MI5 wrote:

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@Serynr wrote:

but would it be possible to have a permission text from o2 checking that we have agreed to using it?

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It's something we have asked for many times on here.

Regulation needs to be much more forceful to stop these scumbags.

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A two step verification would be useful...

[MI5]

Yes, as we have said many times.

[Bambino]

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@Cleoriff wrote:

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@MI5 wrote:

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@Serynr wrote:

but would it be possible to have a permission text from o2 checking that we have agreed to using it?

---

It's something we have asked for many times on here.

Regulation needs to be much more forceful to stop these scumbags.

---

A two step verification would be useful...

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Two step verification would be simple to do. Many companies and organisations use it. I have two that I use. I could have more if I wanted them. It would stop these scammers in their tracks. It puzzles me as to why O2 or any of the other networks haven't introduced it?

[Serynr]

I suspect because the phone line providers probably get some sort of commission. I have been asked by other companies if i am aware so it can be done. In the meantime i am £40 down and the number i have been given to ask for refund is not registered.......