Charge to Mobile

[James597]

My phone was stolen, and the SIM card placed into another device by the thief. They then set up my EE account as a payment method in their Google Play Store - before I had cancelled the SIM. Doing so just required a verification text, which was easy to obtain since my SIM was in their phone.

A few hours later I cancelled that SIM and replaced it with a new one. This has no effect on stopping the Charge To Mobile from continuing in the thief’s Google Play Store. I didn’t even know that Charge to Mobile exists. They racked up £240 of charges. I was caught off guard - once it’s been set up, the only way to stop it is to turn off Bill to Mobile, which EE didn’t automatically do when my SIM was stolen. I, and EE, were powerless to remove my number from that Google Play Account, since neither of us knew which account it was. Google don’t check if the SIM in the device is still active, or if it’s still the same number as the Charge to Mobile set up - it’s just a one step process to register that as a payment method and it remains there. Cancelling the SIM makes no difference.

I eventually realised that I needed to turn off Charge To Mobile on my account , but I fear another £240 in the next billing cycle when monthly limit of £240 was reset. Even when I queried the unexpected bill, EE didn’t mention that I could turn off Charge to Mobile and the same thing happened again. 

has anyone else had problems with Charge to Mobile fraud?

EE said they can’t refund me, and I must contact Google. Google say that EE should give me a Correlation ID for each transaction, but  EE don’t have this. 

[Christopher_G]

Hi @James597 

Welcome to the community.

I'm sorry to hear that this has happened to you. When was your phone stolen? Has your bill been produced since? Are the ID numbers that Google are asking for printed on your bill next to the extra charges?

Chris

[James597]

Hi Chris,

I raised a complaint with EE and I understand it has been escalated, so I will hear back next week. 

The phone was stolen on 13th January, late in the evening. The transactions occurred a few hours later, overnight on 14th January. I reported the SIM as stolen to EE within 24 hours. 

The bill has been produced since but it doesn't list any correlation ID number (or any transaction number). Google insist that my carrier should have this information and can't do anything without it. But it seems EE doesn't. There are multiple £4.99 transactions over a couple of hours. 

I was glad this evening to hear that the issue has been escalated within EE, so I'll wait and see what happens. 

The verification required to set up Charge to Mobile on the Google Play Store shouldn't be a text message, since a stolen SIM will receive the verification text. That's like writing your PIN number on the back of your bank card, and then requiring a PIN number to withdraw money! 

James

[Chris_B]

@James597  Bit late now but you can put a sim PIN code on a sim so if the device is restarted or the sim removed from the device the PIN code is required to than unlock that sim so it can be used.    

Have a read of THIS 

[James597]

@Chris_B  thanks - I was annoyed with myself that I didn't put a pin on the SIM - as it may have avoided all of this. I have now completely canceled the contract with EE, taken out a new contract, switched to an eSIM, put a PIN code on the eSIM, disabled notifications from displaying content on my Lock Screen, put a bar on Charge to Mobile and added a data plan to my Apple Watch, so I can instantly mark my phone as lost if it get's snatched from my hand. Maybe a bit over the top, but this experience has been quite stressful. 

[Christopher_G]

I'm glad to hear that it's being escalated, @James597. Fingers crossed you get a resolution soon. 

Please keep us updated with what happens.

Chris