T-Mobile Users Beware: New Scam Tricks Customers Into Returning ‘free’ Phones To Fraudsters
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- It looks like scammers are posing as T-Mobile reps, offering “free phones” to loyal customers and tricking them into placing real phone orders.
- Victims receive a phone, and then the scammer contacts them claiming the wrong model was sent.
- The victim is asked to return the phone, which ends up in the hands of the scammer, leaving the victim with an unpaid installment balance.
T-Mobile users, beware. There’s a new, highly convincing scam targeting subscribers right now. Scammers are reaching out, pretending to offer a free phone as a thank-you for your loyalty. The scam is so well-executed that it tricks customers into placing an order for the “free” phone and even has them unwittingly ship it straight to the fraudsters. Here’s how the deceptive scheme seemingly works.
T-Mobile free phone scam: How it works
A Reddit user recently reported that a T-Mobile representative called their sibling, who is an authorized user of their family plan, and offered them a free iPhone 16 Pro Max. The sibling accepted the offer, shared some verification codes with the so-called rep, and unknowingly ordered the iPhone 16 Pro Max, adding a new Equipment Installment Plan for the phone for 24 months. Remember, this phone was supposed to be free, with no payments whatsoever.
On further investigation, another Reddit user explained the scam, the existence of which was confirmed by a verified T-Mobile employee on the platform.
The scam apparently begins with a phone call where the fraudster claims to offer a “free phone” as a gesture of appreciation for your loyalty as a T-Mobile customer. They walk the victim through the ordering process on the T-Mobile website, sometimes even logging in as the victim on their computer, all while convincing them to share two-factor authentication (2FA) codes. The victim is led to believe that they will receive a free phone in exchange.
The victim ultimately places a legitimate order for a phone, which is then shipped to them. When the phone arrives, the scammer calls again, claiming that there was an error, and the phone is supposed to be a higher-storage version than the one sent. They promise to correct the mistake and send the correct model.
The scam leaves the victim with an unpaid EIP balance on their account and a stolen phone!
The scammer then emails a UPS return label, asking the victim to send the phone back. Once the victim ships the phone, the scammer receives it, leaving the victim with an unpaid Equipment Installment Plan (EIP) balance on their account.
The Redditor who posted about their sibling accepting the free phone offer later confirmed that this is exactly what happened in their case.
“The sibling finally had the clarity to tell me that they were supposed to get a 1TB iPhone. They got a text from a “T Mo rep” that the order was incorrect and that it should be shipped to an unrelated retail location per the texted UPS label,” the user wrote.
“I can see there were multiple password resets on the sibling’s account and the sibling did mention they had to verify with the “T Mo rep” the text verification numbers. It might have been the scammer themself ordering it for all I know,” they added.
What should you do?
If you receive an unexpected call or message claiming you’ve won a free phone or offering a special deal, be cautious. T-Mobile does not typically offer such promotions through unsolicited phone calls.
Scammers may ask for your two-factor authentication (2FA) codes to gain access to your account. You should never share these codes with anyone, even if they claim to be from T-Mobile. The carrier will almost never ask for 2FA codes over the phone or via email.
If you’re ever unsure about an offer, contact T-Mobile’s customer service directly through their official channels (like their app or website) to confirm whether the offer is legitimate.
