Fraud with O2

[Anonymous]

I was simswapped on the 23rd Feb - contacted O2 straight away who claimed to have re-diverted the calls back to my original sim card in about an hour.  However, since this simswap occured I have lost £7000 from a business account and calls being made to my number are still diverting to a lycamobile sim card.

The fraud could still be occuring as obviously calls are STILL GOING TO THE WRONG SIM.  I have contacted O2 who were meant to be dealing with this but have obviously NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM and I have already lost 7k as stated.

Unacceptable.  How was a fraudster able to get past security questions in store (Wembley high road) and also bypass bank security.  At this point there is no one I can contact to do something about this (it is 12.30pm) and feedbacck from O2 has been slow and the job obvously not done properly (CALLS STILL GOING TO A ROGUE SIM).

[Cleoriff]

Not sure why this is still going on if you have reported this via this route.  http://www.o2.co.uk/help/phones-and-devices/lost-or-stolen-device

Normally a block would be put on the sim....

[jonsie]

That is an awful situation to be in. Only customer service can help you with this. There seems to be too many of these fraudsters able to get through security and it is up to the fraud team at O2 to investigate. Presumably you have spoken to them? Again, no doubt the police are involved at this stage and apart from reporting it to ActionFraud and liasing with O2 there is little else you can do via this community site. We are all just customers on here so you need to call O2 first thing in the morning.

[Curr946]

If I'm reading this correctly your calls are being diverted to a fraudsters number and they are using this to get past bank security and defraud the accounts... Seems like something o2 should be able to fix quickly.

If I've misunderstood I'm sorry.

I am also sorry this has happened, I can only imagine the hassle your going through, will go through to get this all sorted.

[MI5]

would have shut down the bank account too before it got to this point.

[Bambino]

First of all, this is a customer to customer forum, and no one here can help with your problem. Only customer service can do this.

Secondly, I'm finding it hard to understand how anyone could get into your business account by just diverting your phone number? Do they know your name? Do they know the name of your business? Do they know which bank you use? Do they know the bank's sort code? Do they know the username for your account? Do they know your account number? Do they know the password you use to access your account? How could they know any of that information? Why is your bank allowing the diversion of these funds?

When I access my bank account I have a username that has nothing to do with my real name (and no, it's not the one I use here). I then have to put my card into a reader and enter my PIN. I then get an 8 digit code which only lasts for 60 seconds that I have to enter onto the web page. That's the only way I can do anything with my account. If I were to want to transfer a large sum of money into another account I would have to go through a different process using the card reader.

Is the OP saying that whoever diverted his phone number has the capabilities to do all that just by stealing the phone number? I don't think I'm buying this.

[MI5]

It does sound very strange. Either that, or they have methods that I haven't thought of....?

[jonsie]

I find it very strange that redirected calls can result in £7K being fraudulently taken from a business account. Possibly more to this than we are hearing.

[Curr946]

Well, automated calls can be used by banks yo verify a customer transaction. Is if hacked into customers online banking, request payment to new recipient, call comes to mobile tk verify request and enter code from online site to confirm payment. But... The issue will run much deeper than just OPs mobile account.

[PhoneChanger]

Surely the 7K would just be on their O2 account bill rather than taken from their account? at which point surely someone from O2 would have noticed this larger than normal bill, or, if it has been reported, aren't people only liable for the first £100?