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Original poster

Scammed . How do I fight back

69 replies

Unsure33 · 27/06/2021 15:53

I feel so stupid of how I have been scammed , and I know I have a fight on my hands ,

I was really busy working when courier came to the door . He had a courier shirt with Logo on .
Handed parcel over , I signed .

Put in side . Few minutes door went again and the guy is stood there and said he had call and delivery cancelled as not for me sent in error . I said I needed him to ring supervisor to note I recinded my signature . He made a call . I handed back parcel . You guessed it the whole thing was a con and I had signed for a phone and apprentlly contract on line .

Now O2 are saying I am liable .

So I want to fight back

How would these people intercept a phone allegedly addressed to me .

How can they run up a huge bill with no financial details being given ?

Why did they not notice I suddenly had two accounts .

Opened with another email that was not mine ?

I now have to see if I have any ID a theft insurance anywhere . I feel sick and so stupid .

Legally if they pursue me I want to counter act them for such a stupid system and find out how the phone was sent to fraudsters .

OP posts:
RandomMess · 27/06/2021 16:07

No idea I hope someone can help you.

Presumably now cancelled etc or are they refusing to do that?

QueenOfTheSlipstream · 27/06/2021 16:09

Wouldn't there be a cooling-off period allowing you to cancel? I thought that was mandatory on anything bought online.

Do you have any legal insurance as part of your house insurance?

Allllchange · 27/06/2021 16:13

I'm presuming you signed on a device. I don't quite get how it works as unless it was an official courier then how does your signature on their fake device end up as an official signature proving it was delivered?

Original poster
Unsure33 · 27/06/2021 16:22

Yes I did sign on device . I have no idea how it works or how they get phone that was allegedly addressed to me . But if you google it , it is a known scam .

I feel so stupid but was in the middle of work crisis and family crisis as well and just did not click .

I will have to check home insurance but knowing my luck I have not .

OP posts:
Original poster
Unsure33 · 27/06/2021 16:24

@QueenOfTheSlipstream

But I had no other correspondence until threatening letter because they had been texting the stolen phone about unpaid bill as done on a “ cash basis “

OP posts:
Ostara212 · 27/06/2021 16:26

How can 02 say you are liable with no contract?

Where's the money going from? Can you call that bank and tell them it's fraud?

Original poster
Unsure33 · 27/06/2021 16:26

@RandomMess

Yes they can’t use phone now but have run up a massive bill and cost of phone .

I will fight o2 though as how can they allow this to happen on line with no proof of payment or contact except the stolen phone .

OP posts:
RandomMess · 27/06/2021 16:28

How can they prove you accepted delivery unless it couriered through their system and signed on their device which means it's an inside job?

Original poster
Unsure33 · 27/06/2021 16:28

My plan is : ask for evidence of address sent to and courier used .
Find out how it got intercepted
How can they accept a random email address when I already have another account with them .

OP posts:
Original poster
Unsure33 · 27/06/2021 16:30

@RandomMess

No idea. They admitted known scam though .

How can someone get credit like this without being verified as well ?

OP posts:
StormcloakNord · 27/06/2021 16:32

This sounds ridiculous?

Between cooling off periods, no financial details being given and you signing for it on a completely fake and unofficial device there is no way O2 would be stupid enough to insist your "liable" for this...

Original poster
Unsure33 · 27/06/2021 16:32

@Ostara212

I guess contract was taken out on line ?

No idea yet .

It’s credit in my name though I can see on my credit report . I have reported to action fraud and have a crime number . But O2 are saying I am liable as I signed .

Still feeling sick .

OP posts:
Planttrees · 27/06/2021 16:34

O2 know about these scams, they have been happening for a while now, and so you need to talk to them. Keep on until you get it sorted - you will get there in the end if you persevere. Tell your bank too.

Original poster
Unsure33 · 27/06/2021 16:35

They are so far . But I am going to speak to fraud department again tomorrow as I reckon phone must have gone to another address or been intercepted . When I googled it , it is not just phones it has been done with . I am kicking myself trust me .

OP posts:
Original poster
Unsure33 · 27/06/2021 16:36

I have not lost money from bank and changed passwords etc. Just credit in my name so far .

But yes perhaps I should let them know ?

OP posts:
StormcloakNord · 27/06/2021 16:36

I don't know if it's just the way you've typed it out or there's something shifty going on but literally nothing you've said adds up to you suddenly being liable for a phone contract...

How did they rack up a load of charges on a phone they couldn't use? What was in the parcel that you signed for and they took back? How did they manage to get a device that constituted a valid signature from you? Why did you give the parcel back? If the phone was in the parcel how have they managed to rack up charges and use it? Confused

memberofthewedding · 27/06/2021 16:37

I get a lot of couriers and they are not asking for signatures at present because of covid. They just ask your name and sign it themselves. This would have raised a red flag to me.

peaches99 · 27/06/2021 16:38

If it’s any consolation at all, I probably would have done exactly the same. Good luck OP

Echobelly · 27/06/2021 16:44

They're relying on you giving up because they CBA to sort it out, so I think you'll just have to keep going.

@StormcloakNord - I didn't get it at first but I think the scam is that OP has been scammed into paying the bill for someone else to use the phone that was delivered and then taken back.

Justajot · 27/06/2021 16:47

If the courier is part of the scam, then how does O2 have proof of delivery?

Original poster
Unsure33 · 27/06/2021 16:47

Sorry. To make it clear .

A box was handed to me addressed to me . I signed . Pretty sure it was electronic device . Put box down . 2 minutes later courier came back said he had a call . It had been cancelled . Not for me , I think he might have said fraud or something . I made him ring supervisor to say I had not signed . Cool as a cucumber he made a call said all cancelled . I handed back . They then had phone and my signature .

I did nothing else . No more letters until 6 weeks later saying they had cut off phone .O2 not helpful on phone today . I checked my credit account and can see what I owe O2 .

OP posts:
Bluntness100 · 27/06/2021 16:48

This is hard to understand, why would they deliver the phone to you when they could just keep it. How could you sign for it in a fake device?

Souther · 27/06/2021 16:49

Not sure if it's worth it, but sometimes going to some of the newspapers money help pages and they can get involved and sort it.

Original poster
Unsure33 · 27/06/2021 16:49

@Justajot

Don’t know yet . They had polo shirts on with either fedex or something like that . I have so many questions.

OP posts:
NeverNotChasingDreams · 27/06/2021 16:50

I can't see how you would be liable.
Contact the financial ombudsman if they keep insisting.