03330112773

Got a call from someone claiming they were handling my life insurance and could lower my premiums since I supposedly had it for a couple of years. I actually only took it out 6 months ago, so I ended the call pretty quick, thinking it was a scam!

Somebody called claiming to be from Alliance and said they’re linked to my insurance. I just ended the call straight away.

Got a call from a lady with a rather unusual accent that I couldn't quite place. Since I didn't recognise the number, I decided to end the call.

Received a call earlier today purporting to be from o2, stating they were offering 40-50% discounts on current contracts because of Covid. They even sent over a 'promo code' and instructed me to disregard the security alert. However, that very alert made it clear that no one from o2 would ever send such a code. I decided to hang up and dialled 202 to report the incident. Turns out, this is a common scam, affecting various networks! Their goal is to reset your password to gain access to your account.

BEWARE OF THIS SCAMMER! I received a call from the number 03330112773 today. A woman named Ria, whose accent suggested that English wasn’t her first tongue (which is worth noting), claimed to be contacting me from O2. Having been with Vodafone for ages, I was surprised when she mentioned my number had been taken from some “exclusive list” offering me a limited-time deal. Apparently, because of COVID-19, I was entitled to a whopping 40% discount for switching to O2! The deal she pitched sounded almost too good to be true: Unlimited Data, Minutes, Texts, and even 1,000 minutes of international calls. Plus, I could pick any new phone available, all for a mere £18 a month! All she required was a one-off payment of £30 today, which would magically be refunded upon receiving my new phone and contract. Naturally, I suspected this was far from genuine and figured I’d never see that money again, nor receive anything! To bolster her credibility, she sent me a fraudulent SMS complete with a security code that looked like it was genuinely from O2. However, I later realised this was just an O2 clone masquerading as the real deal. When I said I would think it over and get back to her, she insisted on calling me back. I refused, firmly stating, "No thank you, I shall ring you." Then she exclaimed, “ONLY reach me on 03330112773, I’m based in O2’s headquarters in Slough, and since I’m part of the 'O2 Upgrade Department', this is the only number you can use, please DO NOT contact O2 customer services directly.” Well, that raised some serious alarm bells!!! I promptly contacted O2 Customer Services and spoke with a delightful advisor who confirmed that this was indeed a bogus number! Moreover, she informed me that it wasn’t even registered to a location in the UK; it could have been operating from anywhere around the globe. This brings me back to my earlier point about the significance of accents; though it’s not always the case, they can provide clues. Generally speaking, one might expect less likelihood of a British-accented scam call originating from overseas, as the British scammers would likely use local numbers to appear more trustworthy, muddying the waters for identification. The O2 representative also disclosed that many scammers obtain customers' information from Carphone Warehouse, where I have procured my Vodafone plans. I’m rather disheartened to think my personal details may have found their way into the hands of these deceitful individuals. Additionally, she made it clear that O2 never conducts cold calls like this to customers on other networks, nor would they randomly send SMS codes to those without accounts with them. And notably, the “O2 Upgrade Department” is exclusively for current O2 customers wishing to upgrade. They’d always instruct you to contact the official O2 Customer Services number, which conclusively ends in "..02". I attempted to ring Ria back at 03330112773 to give her a piece of my mind, but of course, it went straight to voicemail - another glaring sign of a SCAM! I did manage to leave a ‘cordial’ message, haha! Stay wise, stay alert everyone, keep safe and take care! Cheers! x