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From: David Rance <david@SPAMOFF.invalid>
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Subject: =?UTF-8?Q?Re=3A_=22=27Scammers_stole_=C2=A340k_after_EDF_gave_out_m?=
 =?UTF-8?Q?y_number=22?=
Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2025 17:13:12 +0000
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On 03/03/2025 15:47, Newyana2 wrote:
> On 3/3/2025 7:27 AM, Java Jive wrote:
>> "Scammers stole £40k after EDF gave out my number"
>> https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckg885lxd3jo
>>
>> [An unfortunate choice of photo of the victim, he looks really 
>> cheerful about it.]
>>
>>
>> "A man targeted by fraudsters who got his mobile phone number from an 
>> energy company said he often woke up in the night thinking "what next?".
>>
>> Stephen, from Hertfordshire, had more than £40,000 taken from a 
>> savings account after his name and email address was used to get the 
>> information from EDF.
>>
>> Within 48 hours of his mobile phone number being divulged, his 
>> accounts with O2, Nationwide Building Society and Virgin Media had all 
>> been compromised.
>>
>> EDF said such incidents were rare but it took them seriously and 
>> added: "We are sorry for the difficulties this fraudulent caller has 
>> caused Stephen."
>>
>> ...
>>
>>
>> '£50 to close the case'
>>
>> After more than a week, EDF finally responded about the call it 
>> thought Stephen made at 11:00 GMT on 3 February.
>>
>> EDF explained the fraudster had his name and email address and had 
>> asked EDF to give them his mobile number, which the company did.
>>
>> "I said, 'Why would you do that?' They said the person had gone 
>> through security. 'With a name and email address', I asked?," he said.
>>
>> "EDF said, 'Yes' - and then offered me a £50 goodwill gesture to close 
>> the case."
>>
>>
>> So, EDF allowed them to go from his email address to obtaining his 
>> mobile phone number for a SIM-swap scam, but I wonder how they managed 
>> to go from either to all his savings accounts, unless they'd also 
>> compromised his PC or phone as well; if the latter, why did they need 
>> to go via EDF?
>>
> 
>    It sounds like some of the story is missing. (Not least of which is an
> explanation of what "EDF" means.)

Electricité de France.

I used to have an electricity supply account with them in France.

David

-- 
David Rance    writing from Caversham, Reading, UK