Unrecognised payment taken from debit card

[Anonymous]

Having checked  my bank statement I have found a payment which appears to come from O2, but for which I have no other record of either setting up or having made manually. 

Normally when topping up with O2 you get a text message confirming it has taken place, there is no such message associated with this transaction...

The payment shows up with a reference of MIP*O2 UK Top Up, 441132722320 GB

I checked with the customer support desk yesterday evening and they could find no record of it so have had to cancel my debit card.

If you are a synic like me, if you remove the 44 from the front of the reference number and replace it with a 0 you gets a Leeds area phone number, O2 have one of their call centres in Leeds, but this might just be some dreadful coincidence, as ringing this number just gives a NP (no party connected) dial tone.

Has anyone else come across this, and what is the solution - apart from stopping the debit card - ??

[Cleoriff]

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@MI5 wrote:
It must be a combination of both then but it still relies on the website calling for it if supported by the bank.
Maybe you need to sign up for it on your Nationwide account?

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Not sure I ever did sign up for it Rich if honest. Maybe it's because I have been with them from the start?

Mind you I was with HSBC when it was Midland Bank and I have to do verified by visa with them every time..

Edited to add as @jonsie has the same sort of account as me and did sign for it...then I must have....

[MI5]

Either way, the process requires 2 things.
1- the cardholder signs up.
2- the website is written to call for it.

[jonsie]

As I say, the O2 website always asks me to verify.

[MI5]

I'm sure it does, never in question.