topic Re: New SIM fraud in Archived Posts

New SIM fraud

Profile closed — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 20:14:44 GMT

EE - your security is appalling.

my wife was notified by text that a new SIM card was on its way, but she had not ordered one. She reported this to yourselves but was told there was no record of it, maybe a system error. Now she has had thousands of pounds of fraud committed through EE and her bank and credit card. And to top it all off despite your fraud team being aware, her phone has no service as a sim was sent to a fraudster and they took over her number. Today an unknown individual will have been receiving calls from yourselves and various other parties about the very fraud they’ve committed. And now she is without a phone and can’t even change account passwords where there is 2FA using her phone . A right royal balls up. If you can see my details, please end my contract immediately as I’ve lost trust in you, I’ll pay you off for the 12 months remaining - good riddance to you. If you can’t do that without speaking to me, please get in touch before my next billing date as my direct debit will be cancelled.

Re: New SIM fraud

bristolian — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 20:27:14 GMT

Hi @Profile closed

There is no account access on this (public) web forum, so you'll need to contact EE C/S to discuss this. You can use 0800 0798586 which is a free call from any UK phone.

As an aside, if your wife's account address is correct, then I don't see how this could happen - and the text message notification is the fraud-prevention check working as intended.

My understanding is that replacement SIMs can only be sent either to the account-holders address, or photo-ID is required to collect them from an EE retail store.

Is it possible that if C/S had no record of a replacement SIM, that the text message wasn't actually from EE but was a spam? Are you able to post the exact wording of the message on here?

Re: New SIM fraud

Profile closed — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 21:06:38 GMT

Text message was from 150, no links in the message, just text. The fraudsters changed our home address but not billing address. They ordered 2 new phone contracts, Nintendo switch as well as emptying £1200 from her bank account and £600 from credit card. The worst part is that after speaking to EE’s fraud team this morning, they never mentioned the sim, then she lost her mobile signal. We took the sim out to confirm the number, whoever she spoke to went very quiet when they realised her number was now active on a different sim.

Re: New SIM fraud

Profile closed — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 21:08:26 GMT

I’ve checked my account online lots of times today, I now see over £70 of extra charges which I did not make. Looks like my account may be compromised now. I have a year to go, but I’m ending my contract as soon as someone answers the phone...

ok, now the extra charges have disappeared and showing as zero after logging off and back on again. I have zero faith in the reliability of EEs systems. £250 to end my contract seems a reasonable price to pay to avoid the potential for thousands of pounds of fraud, no ability to pay via card for days and compromise of phone number.

End of thread - no need to reply

Re: New SIM fraud

Profile closed — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 07:00:24 GMT

I have an offer on my account for unlimited data for an extra £5 a month. Don’t let EE try and charge you any more than that. I hardly use my phone, usually less than 1gb of data a month on an original plan with 4gb (although part of an offer it was upped to 24gb). At the same time as offering the £5 upgrade they offer add ons for ridiculously high sums of money.

Re: New SIM fraud

Profile closed — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 07:14:46 GMT

Does it matter when they called?

congratulations on leaving EE, changing to a new number with a new provider is something every EE customer should do.

all the best

Re: New SIM fraud

Katie_B — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 09:55:53 GMT

Hello @Profile closed.

Thanks for coming to the community and making us aware of this.

I have sent you a private message to gather some more details.

Katie 🙂

Re: New SIM fraud

Profile closed — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 18:42:03 GMT

No idea where the private message is, but please don’t waste your time with me, unless you’re going to waive the fee for me to exit my contract early.

new sim arrives on Friday from three, then Just the PAC code and we’re done for good.

edit - found the private message in my email, I’ve replied.

Re: New SIM fraud

Leanne_T — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 07:50:45 GMT

Hi @Profile closed

Thanks for coming back to us.

Sorry we can't see your email reply, could you reply to the private message on the community here, we will help you get this looked into.

Thanks.

Leanne.

Re: New SIM fraud

Profile closed — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 21:03:39 GMT

Despite talking to a few helpful people, ultimately I have zero confidence in EE and today my account was closed/number transferred.

You can’t make this stuff up - the EE fraud team closed the case, claiming it wasn’t fraud. 2 fraudulent numbers were left open and my wife received a bill for £160 of fraudulent activity.

EE fraud team rang the mobile number when it was in the hands of the fraudster, so never spoke to the real account holder before closing the case - idiots!

Please close my account in this community, I have nothing more to say.

Re: New SIM fraud

James_B — Wed, 06 Jan 2021 09:04:14 GMT

Hi @Profile closed,

I'm sorry to hear this hasn't been resolved yet. Has your wife been back in touch with Customer Care since the fraud case was closed?

If you would like to close your community account please tap your avatar at the top left of your screen and select My settings. From here select Personal followed by Close account.

James

Re: New SIM fraud

Tom1221 — Sat, 06 Nov 2021 16:09:22 GMT

Hi all. My friend sim was scammed twice last week. Last saturday his mobile lost signal so he contated EE to explain that, last Monday he went to the branch to pick up his new sim card. And last saturday after midnight his mobile lost signal again. Right after that he received an email saying that the password to his financial platform has been changed. He contacted the support of this platform and likely was able to login using his face scan and change the password.

I am also an ee customer and just called the support to talk about that. So I was told that if someone calls to make any changes on your account, firstly he is asked to give the password and if he can't remember then he needs to answer two security questions which (like I was told by the support) only the mobile owner will know.

So the first question was - the last four digits of your direct debit account. - is that a secret knowledge? Any person in my life who paid any money to my account can know these numbers. Whoever paid you for something, friends from your work, someone from gumtree who bought something from you. LITERALLY ANY PERSON.

The second question was - how did you get your contract. This is even more obvious. I bet that 70% of contracts are signed online now. You can just do a blind shot on it and you are more likely to get this one correct. And what worries me even more is that the frauded friend was asked exactly the same security questions yesterday, when spoke to the support after his phone lost signal agan.

And here you are! You are verified and from now one you can order a new sim card and cut off the real owner. I can't believe that it is so simple to steal such an important thing like a mobile number. There is an option offered by the support to get the note on your account that you can only make changes on your account by calling directly from the number you want to make changes on. It might sound sensible, but firstly - this is not a standard so you need to call EE to set it up first for you and I don't think many people have that. The other thing is that is pointless anyway, because by using some websites you can generate any number you want to call from.

I bet that I can just randomly pick up 10 people who I paid any money, call EE and just go through these "security" with success at least with one number. So imagine, if someone is focused on this type of scam, how many numbers he can get.

THIS IS RIDICULOUS.

By having access to your mobile number frauders can get to your gmail, to your bank, they can reset probably 80% of your passwords. They can literally hack your life, steal your money, pictures, messages.

Mobile phone numbers must be more protected. If someone dont know the password his power should be restricted to signing new contracts etc.

Ordering a new sim card should be only available if you KNOW THE LOGIN PASSWORD, not someone's bank account number!!

Re: New SIM fraud

Chris_B — Sat, 06 Nov 2021 16:59:21 GMT

@Tom1221 You can also request that customer services only take calls from your phone number or other numbers that are on your account.

Re: New SIM fraud

mikeliuk — Sat, 06 Nov 2021 17:07:31 GMT

Hi @Tom1221 ,

Online security is absolutely something that all individuals need to take seriously and if we believe that some vendor, service provider, or bank is not taking the matter seriously, I would highly recommend that a replacement is sought as soon as possible and all security dependency on the weak link is removed.

For example, if a mobile account and phone number is compromised, a new secure SIM and number should be obtained and the compromised number removed everywhere, starting from bank accounts and email accounts.

Your friend may wish to review the guidance provided by Which magazine (link below) as to the safest online banks to use, in case your friend's bank ranks at the bottom of the list.

I'm not aware that EE's security is any worse than the security of any other mobile network provider, but if you or your friend believes this to be the case, immediate action should be taken. Good luck!

https://www.which.co.uk/money/banking/banking-security-and-new-ways-to-pay/online-banking-security/how-safe-is-online-banking-ayvfj7p8cctc

Re: New SIM fraud

Tom1221 — Sat, 06 Nov 2021 17:46:46 GMT

You can generate any mobile number to call from by using very simple applications or websites.

Without knowing the login password, you should be able to only report that your mobile was stolen so the operator can cut it off. To order new sim cards you should or know the login password or go to the branch.

What's even more annoying, that the EE doest even call the "lost number" to see if this is really true. They just cutting you off.