To think my elderly DM is being scammed via O2?

[head2toeinuniqlo]

DM is in the UK and I am overseas. We normally talk for free over WhatsApp. She was in hospital a couple of months ago and couldn't get anyone to help her connect to the internet, so she was using her normal mobile phone service with O2 to call me and send texts. This left her with a bill of £1,700 for the 2 weeks she was in hospital.

Since she has been out of hospital, she has been using WhatsApp again. However, she just received another O2 bill for £4,200!

We can't get through to anyone to help. Mum doesn't have an online account so the phone is the only way to contact them, but no one is answering.

She is also randomly getting bills from Talk Talk, who she doesn't have an account with. My only thought is that they have bought out Shell Energy who she used to have her internet with, but I can't confirm this.

Something is up and I need to get to the bottom of it. Mum is getting so distressed about it all. I think she is being scammed as none of this makes sense. AIBU and can anybody help? Thanks.

Can she contact citizens advice locally and see someone face to face?

@fourelementary no, she's housebound.

Cancel the DD and wait for them to contact her?

Something’s definitely not right but are you sure you’re trying the right numbers for O2? I’ve spoken to them quite a lot recently and they always answer.

@Lemons1571 they will just cut her off and she will have no phone.

@CultureAlienationBoredomandDespair I've just called them again and all I get is an automated service with no option to speak to a human.

o2 charge 6p per text and 19p per min for overseas calls. You can probably work out from your end if this adds up to the time you have spent talking to her

@anniegun but she's been out of hospital for 6 weeks and the bill has almost trebled since then!

The Talk Talk bills are correct if she was using Shell for broadband; I think they switched over two or three months ago.

I've used O2 for years and never had difficulties with the customer service either?

Thanks @SocksAndTheCity, that's one mystery solved!

I can confirm that TalkTalk have taken over the Shell Energy broadband accounts.

Has she had itemised bills from O2?

This is the number I am calling: +44 7860 980 202.

Has she been using data rather than through WiFi?

@MisfitMagpie oh blimey, that's a point! I thought WhatsApp automatically went through the internet, not your mobile? We have been using WhatsApp for years. This problem only started when Mum went into hospital.

WhatsApp works perfectly well over mobile data - has she turned hers off?

Sounds like her phone didn't automatically reconnect to her WiFi when she went home

It sounds like she’s been using data. Which is why the charge is so high

Oh gosh, I don't know! How can we check?

Also don't O2 have a duty of care to their elderly and vulnerable customers? They should not have allowed this situation to happen.

Where in the UK is your mum? Perhaps posters here can suggest local help (especially to switch off her data mobile data!)

It'll be under her data settings somewhere.

I can't comment on whether it's a failure on behalf of o2. I have a spend cap on my phone so I can't go over my contracted amount without specifically asking the company to allow it.

I thought WhatsApp automatically went through the internet, not your mobile
Only if you are connected to the Internet. Otherwise it will use your data.

Would she know what to look for on the screen to confirm she's connected to the Internet? Can you send her a screenshot of your phone to show her what the WiFi symbol looks like if she doesn't know.

That's a gigantic bill though. I'm not sure sending WhatsApp messages at a rate of 1000 a day should generate a bill that big unless she's sending or receiving a ton of photos and videos.

@IsitaHatOrACat she's in the East End.
@sunsetsandboardwalks I will look into a spend cap for the future, thanks.

Not sure where you got a mobile number from to contact O2, hopefully this one will work. I'll be honest it sounds like your Mum is on a pay as you go package and using data so it is extremely expensive. It's not down to O2 to monitor the account, but you CAN set a spending limit on it yourself.

We have been in situations where we have burned through data when we thought our phones had connected to wifi but hadn't. Luckily our phones (EE) are set up to give data warnings and then stop using it when it runs out - its a data cap I believe.
If your Mums phone was on data with no cap then its not impossible for the bills to be so high. It would be nice to think that O2 would notice and do something and/or sort it out when contacted but be aware as you are not the account ho,der even if you eventually get a human they may not speak to you.

I would suggest first off, switch her to a contract with unlimited data. She should be able to get one for under £30 per month and if it is that it will stop the cost continuing to get up.

Do you have her itemised bills? What do they say? Is it a data charge or a phone charge. At worst it could be that someone is charging services to her phone, or has cloned her phone and is using it for premium rate services (which are set up to pay the scammer) so you really need to know that urgently. It will be on the bill.