topic Re: Routed to a scam support team - Expert Squad - BEWARE in Security

Routed to a scam support team - Expert Squad - BEWARE

Geoff_H — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 11:54:20 GMT

I have an ongoing issue whereby when the EE app sends me a text, it sends it to the number that originally came with the SIM (I transferred my existing number to EE). When I tried to get support, I was routed to an Indian call centre calling themselves Expert Squad. They told me that I would need to provide my PayPal details so they could take £1 and that would be refunded later. I should really have questioned this. On checking my PayPal account, I discovered that I had not only been charged £1 but an additional fee of £35. I disputed this with PayPal and they have rejected the case. The so-called “Expert Squad” could not even help me and referred me back to EE.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Re: Routed to a scam support team - Expert Squad - BEWARE

Schockwave — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 12:01:12 GMT

Hello @Geoff_H ,

Welcome to the community,

EE would never send a text like that and you should definitely forward the text to 7726 with SPAM as the subject.

Re: Routed to a scam support team - Expert Squad - BEWARE

Geoff_H — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 12:17:47 GMT

I think you have completely misunderstood. The EE app often wants to send a code to confirm identity. When it does this, it is sending it to the wrong number so I never receive it. It was by calling 150 to report this to EE that I ended up with Expert Squad.

Re: Routed to a scam support team - Expert Squad - BEWARE

XRaySpeX — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 12:58:53 GMT

You shouldn't have been referred by EE to some Indian call centre. I should complain to CS.

There has been at least 1 other report of this last year, Expert Squad subscription where the EE Community Support Team got involved.

Re: Routed to a scam support team - Expert Squad - BEWARE

code_ — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 14:58:18 GMT

It may also recommend raising a dispute with your bank or phoning up PayPal support directly (if you made a payment via PayPal using a card that is attached to your account). To me it could sound like a phone call spoofing which some scammers use to make it look like a real number directly from EE, or as others mentioned some scammers may create realistic/claim to be helping EE customers. I recommend first by reporting the text your received and contacting EE support directly to report the issue & also report it to Report a scam to Action Fraud | Action Fraud.

The first indication of the scam would be if they ask for PayPal details, as EE only ever takes payments by direct debit.

I'm not sure it it's worth EE creating a similar feature to Monzo where you can check in the app if CS is on the phone to you right now.

Re: Routed to a scam support team - Expert Squad - BEWARE

Christopher_G — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 15:32:39 GMT

Hi @Geoff_H

Welcome to the community.

I see you've been given some great advice here already. I suggest speaking with our team on 150 again, so that they can look into this and try to explain what has happened.

Alternatively, you could raise a complaint on our webform. That way, a dedicated team will look into this and contact you to discuss it further.

Please keep us updated on what happens.

Chris

Re: Routed to a scam support team - Expert Squad - BEWARE

XRaySpeX — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 16:54:46 GMT

@code_ : The issue isn't about a received text nor a received spoof call, but being redirected by EE CS on a 150 phone call made by OP to the Indian Call centre of this Expert Squad.

Re: Routed to a scam support team - Expert Squad - BEWARE

crimps2801 — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 09:05:32 GMT

I've just experienced the same when using CHAT on the EE site. I was directed to the expert chat and was told it was a £1 and this would be refunded. Tried twice to take £35 from me.

Luckily my card declined the payment

Re: Routed to a scam support team - Expert Squad - BEWARE

Ali_A — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 09:36:37 GMT

Hi @Geoff_H and @crimps2801

I am going to send you both a private message to get more information on your experience being referred to Expert Squad so we can investigate what happened.

Ali

Re: Routed to a scam support team - Expert Squad - BEWARE

Geoff_H — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 04:36:43 GMT

Re: Routed to a scam support team - Expert Squad - BEWARE

wayne24329131 — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 16:38:26 GMT

Hi Geoff , They just did it to me the same , was supposed to pay 1.00 but they took 35.00 , contacted paypal and my bank but not hopefull of a refund , this is legal fraud , I only wanted to know why my parcel from evri was and got scammed , 35.00 is a lot to lose when on a basic pension , how they get away with this is beyond me , it is fraud no question about it , at 70 years old and computer illiterate its going to be impossible to get a refund , no one to speak too on phone because technology says no , we have gone a long way with this so called progress , going to be stressed out for weeks now .

Re: Routed to a scam support team - Expert Squad - BEWARE

Geoff_H — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 19:38:55 GMT

Hi Wayne. I disputed it with PayPal twice before they shut my case down and gave me no right to dispute again. Although inconvenient, I decided I’d just have to put it down to experience and closed my PayPal account and cancelled the associated credit card as well, just in case they started trying to collect their monthly ’fee’ of £35. Maybe it’s time to speak with the BBC?

Sent from my iPhone

Re: Routed to a scam support team - Expert Squad - BEWARE

Christopher_G — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 07:19:35 GMT

Hi @wayne24329131

Welcome to the community. We'll do our best to get you some advice on this.

How did you find Expert Squad originally? Were you referred to them by our customer services, or was it through a search engine search (or another way)?

Chris

Re: Routed to a scam support team - Expert Squad - BEWARE

Geoff_H — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 08:21:56 GMT

For my part, I thought I was redirected via the EE website, but it may have been a Google search.

Re: Routed to a scam support team - Expert Squad - BEWARE

XRaySpeX — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 14:28:46 GMT

You originally said when you raised this thread:

@Geoff_H wrote:
It was by calling 150 to report this to EE that I ended up with Expert Squad.

but now you say it was via online.

This whole thread is a red herring!

Re: Routed to a scam support team - Expert Squad - BEWARE

Geoff_H — Sun, 26 Oct 2025 14:56:19 GMT

No, not a red herring at all. I cannot, in fact, remember for sure how I ended up with those fraudsters as I tried a number of things to try and get support logging in. Unfortunately, I am suffering from age-related memory loss and confusion, so that certainly does not help, and being accused of throwing out a red herring is somewhat offensive to me.

Re: Routed to a scam support team - Expert Squad - BEWARE

Ali_A — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 09:34:45 GMT

Hi @Geoff_H

There may be a chance you had performed an online search for EE Customer Service and inadvertently followed a non-EE search result directing you to a 3rd party service.
You'd have to contact that company directly if you have any queries or complaints about the service they have provided.

Our customer service teams won't ask for a separate payment for technical support.

However, our technical support team will certainly be able to help you with the initial problem with your app verification.
We'd love to get this resolved as soon as possible, so please give our team a call using the contact numbers found on our Contact Us | Help | EE page where a guide will be able to update the registered mobile number on your online account.

Let us know how you get on!

Ali