data protection breech

[Anonymous]

I have recently found out that my brother who has an account with o2 has been the victim of a dpa breech. Someone else (were assuming his ex girlfriend) has done not one but two upgrades on the account over the last couple of years. What I want to know is basically is this allowed to happen without the account holder giving permission for the new upgrade to go through as legally it is starting a new contract under his name

[Anonymous]

Hi @Anonymous and Welcome to the Community Forum


When they were together as a couple I'm assuming he must have either allowed her access to his account as a trusted person or divulged the security protocols / passwords.

If the person passed these security questions or had not been removed off the account as a trusted person then they could have accessed to allow contract or new phone.

O2 wouldn't have been any the wiser on a relationship break up.

I would suggest your brother contacts O2 via 202 to advise them of the personal circumstances change ,and to change all his access passwords ASAP.

They will advise your brother where he stands at present with the opened accounts. It may be the case that they can transfer the contract to his ex if she can pass a Credit Check. All this could depend on if he is still in communication / talking terms with her too.

If he did advise O2 of the change of access to his account and changed his passwords then I can't see how she would have been able to do what she did , however if so here is the online complaints form http://www.o2.co.uk/how-to-complain/complain

Link on Data Protection Act http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_Protection_Act_1998

[Anonymous]

A recent similar thread ;

http://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Pay-Monthly-and-Pay-Go/Phone-Ordered-without-my-consent-Debt-Collection...

Hope this get resolved for your brother and if you can please let us know how you get on.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

I do agree trusted people can have access to accounts on some situations but surely not to upgrade to a new contract without clearing it with him first after all he needed to be there to set the contract up in the first place so surely the same should apply when renewing to a new contract. My own provider won't allow an upgrade change until dpa is passed with the account holder

[Anonymous]

We've already done the complaint aswell and they aren't prepared to take responsibility for it as it's now got to the stage where my brother could possibly get a ccj as he has only just found out about missed payments when the ccj letter came to his door

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Hi


What did O2 say to you regarding what and how this managed to occur.

Many people now upgrade etc over the phone and online so if access details were known then it can be done and O2 would know none the wiser.

I would have thought some form of communication would have occurred such as an e mail confirmation of the order or postal communication.

Also I would have thought O2 would have tried all
Forms of contact when the payments were not forthcoming.

Maybe it's not possibly a new contract opened up but an extra handset has been added.

Has he contacted the police ref a possible fraud issue.

Also he needs to check his credit file to see if a default notice has been placed on his file which could stay there for 6 years.

Experian is one credit file agency to contact.

[Cleoriff]

I agree that O2 will absolve themselves of any responsibility for this problem.

They will surely say that the OP's brother should have removed his girlfriend from his account and had her access barred.

It probably is a fraud, but not O2's fault

[MI5]

A lesson to everyone to change passwords on any accounts with dual access when a relationship breaks down.....

[jonsie]

Fraud and identity theft so definitely get it reported to the police.