Forum Topic

O2 scam attempt on call to my mobile

Just be aware these are doing the rounds. An abrupt Indian tried to convince he was with O2 sales (he knows I'm O2 of course due to my number ) and was happy to be offering me 40pc discount on my remaining monthly contract. I thought that was weird so let him go on a bit through his whole script and he finally said , Please can I just confirm you want to go ahead with the 40pc discount and I said , err No thanks.  Much hilarity on my side,as I knew he was thrown and didn't have much in the script to pick up on this left turn. Then after nearly accepting defeat he asked Can I have the reason you decline this great offer please.  I just said,  er no , it's secret to me only.  Have a nice day. Thanks.  At least I wasted 5 mins of his efforts but We didn't get near the point of him 'appearing' to send me a code  which he would have accessed my online account and done some naughties.   Don't give your one time security codes to anyone. If you do get them they are for you only .

Andrew Craig ● 1441d8 Comments

Andrew I dont understand the last paragraph. 'Appearing' to send you a code, and the rest of it. Could you explain what would happen?

Stephen Gould ● 1441d

Yes. He pretends to be O2 and about to send you a security code on the opening script.  In reality he is not O2 he is just a scammer and is on the O2 home account webpage , and he is going to type in any email to login ( not my email , he doesn't know it or my name)  but as long as he types a valid looking email the O2 page will show a link to 'forgot password'  process. So he goes into this. O2 allow you to be sent a code  to start to reset your account. You can also choose an email option but that's not part of the scam , he already has your mobile number and enters it into the O2 page and requests a code be sent.  This would have appeared in my sms messages under my official O2 msg collection as of course it is legit ,  He then asks for the code over the phone to be read out to him. If you give it , you've just lost as he will login change your password,  tell you to look out for the4 0pc confirmation letter in post and ring off. Once he is in online to my account can do whole range of things like change address and order a new phone , etc etc etc, or get the phone delivered to my address and ring me days later to apologise for mistake and have me send it on to another address.

Andrew Craig ● 1441d

So that basically the scammer already has your number which he recognises as O2.Going onto the 02 website and entering your number and just any authentic looking email address he then pretends to have forgotten your password and so a security code is sent to *your* phone so as to enable you to supposedly reset the password. (Except you know nothing about this)He then phones you and makes you the offer but requires you to tell him the security code *he* claims he just sent you (which you don't know has anything to do with your resetting your password ) so as to prove it's really you. (Nice touch that, you must admit) After telling him the security code, he will give you some speil, ring off, reset your password and gain access to your account.As the password has now been changed you won't be able to access the account yourself any more, assuming you'd even want to, but may let things go for a while, assuming there's simply a glich somewhere.michael adams 

Michael Adams ● 1441d

I reported a call like this to 02 and they told me they never call the customer also that they probably got my number from the mailing list I was on so I ask them to remove my number from the mailing list.

Janice Evans ● 1441d

FFS. Thanks for the advice

Stephen Gould ● 1441d

O2 have a real problem with these scams.  They are ongoing, the 40% one did the rounds last year too. Sadly the scammers have gone further and post fake O2 Ids and contact details online and if you contact one of these fake numbers they will start to offer all sorts of freebies and new phone upgrades. They do not appear to need a one time security code to access an O2 account, this seemed to have been done remotely. What was interesting is that we realised something was amiss when no payment seemed to be coming out by direct debit of the normal bank account. On checking the O2 account it was apparent that the direct debit details on the account were wrong, they were for an account for an unused branch of Santander Bank in Liverpool.  What the scammers want you to do is correct the details.  Don't.  To correct, you need to go to an O2 store and reset the account and phone numbers up, a pain but the only way to get around this.

Jonathan Mabbutt ● 1441d

I think they are passing on or selling on mailing lists of our phone numbers for marketing purposes, I could be wrong but 02 did say that was how the scammers got my number.

Janice Evans ● 1441d

I doubt they know Its random calling called robodialed these days using computers. Hopefully for them the first person to answer is a o2 customer. Not and they repeat the process. Also some mobile apps you download and install take your data and sell it on in blocks. Read T&Cs

Julian Pavey ● 1440d