The National Association of Local Councils has received reports of O2 users receiving calls out of the blue promising a 50% discount on their mobile phone bill. If you accept, you’ll receive a text message containing a passcode, which the scammer will use to try and gain access to your account.
The scam begins with a fraudster calling you claiming to be from O2. They’ll already have some information about you, which may have been accessed via an unrelated data breach in the past. This information will be used to take you through ‘security’ questions.
While you’re on the phone, you’ll receive a text from O2. The text tells you a one-time passcode has been requested and will arrive shortly. This genuine message will have been triggered by the scammer trying to log into your account on the O2 website. Ultimately, the scammer wants to access the account and change your password – potentially enabling them to attempt to take out contracts in your name.
The text message from O2 includes a warning stating ‘if someone’s calling you and asking for a code, please end the call because they do not work for O2’. While this should arouse your suspicions, the scammer will try to talk you around and claim their request is genuine.
Next, you’ll receive a follow-up text containing the code. If you read it out to the fraudster, they’ll be able to use it to get into your account.
O2 confirmed to Which? that it never asks customers for passcodes, passwords, Pins or bank details over the phone.