Wonga tried to take ~£500 from me today - I've never used it
Discussion
Today, I got a phone call from Barclays. Their anti-fraud robot had flagged some of my transactions.
It appears today, Wonga.com tried to take two loads of £250.54 from my account today. I have never even been to Wonga.com.
I have only purchased things from trusted websites, using an encrypted connection, used an ATM (and I always look at it before I use it!), and one or two of the little handheld machines at the petrol station, Morrisons, etc.
Luckily the anti-fraud thing caught these transactions... So there's no more proceedings for me to take as far as I can tell... just remember to keep an eye on your statements, people!
It appears today, Wonga.com tried to take two loads of £250.54 from my account today. I have never even been to Wonga.com.
I have only purchased things from trusted websites, using an encrypted connection, used an ATM (and I always look at it before I use it!), and one or two of the little handheld machines at the petrol station, Morrisons, etc.
Luckily the anti-fraud thing caught these transactions... So there's no more proceedings for me to take as far as I can tell... just remember to keep an eye on your statements, people!
I think wonga were given my account/card details by someone who had the loan paid into a different account. It's a flaw in wonga's business plan, certainly.
How does one go about getting a credit check? Let's just say that as a 20 year old, this stuff was never taught in school or college, but instead I had to learn bloody Latin...
How does one go about getting a credit check? Let's just say that as a 20 year old, this stuff was never taught in school or college, but instead I had to learn bloody Latin...
wst said:
I think wonga were given my account/card details by someone who had the loan paid into a different account. It's a flaw in wonga's business plan, certainly.
How does one go about getting a credit check? Let's just say that as a 20 year old, this stuff was never taught in school or college, but instead I had to learn bloody Latin...
GoogleHow does one go about getting a credit check? Let's just say that as a 20 year old, this stuff was never taught in school or college, but instead I had to learn bloody Latin...
Equifax.co.uk is another.
Trouble is there are several credit agencies but each 'does its own thing' so one might have piece of info on you which the others don't. However if a potential lender has been making credit checks on you it is possible they have all been asked so all will show it.
Trouble is there are several credit agencies but each 'does its own thing' so one might have piece of info on you which the others don't. However if a potential lender has been making credit checks on you it is possible they have all been asked so all will show it.
I use checkmyfile.co.uk
They charge a quarterly fee of about fifteen quid but pull all three files for you (callcredit, Equifax, experian) monthly and their site flags up anomalies such as mismatched accounts and addresses, shows the full lists of who's pulled what on you and which file they used and the type of search done, etc.
A file from the agencies directly is cheaper but I like their service and after someone once tried a spot of identity theft on me, I found these guys good at helping advise on how to fix/sort things with the various agencies.
I'm now in the habit of refreshing my file monthly out of curiosity, a largely uneventful event, save for feeling happy watching my mortgage balance and stuff reducing.
HTH
They charge a quarterly fee of about fifteen quid but pull all three files for you (callcredit, Equifax, experian) monthly and their site flags up anomalies such as mismatched accounts and addresses, shows the full lists of who's pulled what on you and which file they used and the type of search done, etc.
A file from the agencies directly is cheaper but I like their service and after someone once tried a spot of identity theft on me, I found these guys good at helping advise on how to fix/sort things with the various agencies.
I'm now in the habit of refreshing my file monthly out of curiosity, a largely uneventful event, save for feeling happy watching my mortgage balance and stuff reducing.
HTH
DWP said:
Google
Y'see, the point I was making was more along the lines of "what the hell is a credit check?", rather than "Where do I go?" - everyone's seen the experian adverts, but none of this stuff actually explains what it actually is... hence my comment about learning a dead language instead of getting a "PErsonal finances" lesson in school. Great answer, you sarcastic twunt. Use your brain once in a while, aye? We're not all born as little Alan Sugars, you know. It's no stupider a question than "what car?" and I don't see you being a moron in those threads (because I don't read them, to be honest. But if I did, I imagine I wouldn't see you being a moron there, or is that a case of me displaying too much hope?).stew, that sounds quite nifty. I'll have to do a bit more research as evidently my financial knowledge is bloody lacking, partly from a lack of education in the matter, and partly because when I ask for information (for example, when it is relevant, like now) I get some decent answers and some stupid people wasting pixels. Thanks for the tip, should I take it!
basically what you'll see depends on the account but most agencies will report the following,
Account type - e.g. Credit card/loan
institution held with - e.g. Halifax
Credit limit/Loan amount
Current balance
Worst arrears - e.g. Paid 1 month late
Address account held at.
Based on this and other things they ask you, this is how they decide your credit risk and whether to lend to you.
They're generally looking for things like are you on the electoral roll and how much of your available credit are you using, etc.
Someone who has a ten grand limit on their card and has £9999 piled up on it applying for a second card is probably riskier than a similar customer applying for a new card when they've only got a £2000 pounds balance on their 10 grand card.
Other institutions will also be able to get a reduced credit file for audit purposes that doesn't have all of the financial data, such as a landlord using a credit search to check previous address history and if you have CCJ's or anything outstanding.
The above is a pretty speedy and not wholly accurate overview so feel free to read up more or see if others correct/elaborate for me...
In your case it sounds worth checking that Wonga have not run a credit check against you without your knowledge as this implies identity theft/fraud. The alternative is that it could just be a miskeyed account/sortcode or card number they've used.
Best thing is ring Wonga first thing and explain you think there's been some kind of fraud or error and see what they can tell you. Depending what you find from them, it may be worth checking your file if they honestly think it was you due to identity theft.
After the first contact with Wonga, if you can't get it resolved - deal with the matter via email or letter - Having a written record is easier to work with if needed than requesting call recordings...but I doubt it will get to that.
Cheers
Stu
Account type - e.g. Credit card/loan
institution held with - e.g. Halifax
Credit limit/Loan amount
Current balance
Worst arrears - e.g. Paid 1 month late
Address account held at.
Based on this and other things they ask you, this is how they decide your credit risk and whether to lend to you.
They're generally looking for things like are you on the electoral roll and how much of your available credit are you using, etc.
Someone who has a ten grand limit on their card and has £9999 piled up on it applying for a second card is probably riskier than a similar customer applying for a new card when they've only got a £2000 pounds balance on their 10 grand card.
Other institutions will also be able to get a reduced credit file for audit purposes that doesn't have all of the financial data, such as a landlord using a credit search to check previous address history and if you have CCJ's or anything outstanding.
The above is a pretty speedy and not wholly accurate overview so feel free to read up more or see if others correct/elaborate for me...
In your case it sounds worth checking that Wonga have not run a credit check against you without your knowledge as this implies identity theft/fraud. The alternative is that it could just be a miskeyed account/sortcode or card number they've used.
Best thing is ring Wonga first thing and explain you think there's been some kind of fraud or error and see what they can tell you. Depending what you find from them, it may be worth checking your file if they honestly think it was you due to identity theft.
After the first contact with Wonga, if you can't get it resolved - deal with the matter via email or letter - Having a written record is easier to work with if needed than requesting call recordings...but I doubt it will get to that.
Cheers
Stu
There are 3 credit refernce agencies, experian, equifax, call credit
basically they hold files on you and when you take out credit the company providing the credit should record if with 1 or all of the credit reference agencies. they dont have to but they usually will as it is their way of getting abckat you if you dont pay - i.e a bad amrk on your credit file wil lmake it harder to get credit later.
basically they hold files on you and when you take out credit the company providing the credit should record if with 1 or all of the credit reference agencies. they dont have to but they usually will as it is their way of getting abckat you if you dont pay - i.e a bad amrk on your credit file wil lmake it harder to get credit later.
Thanks guys, it's quite a... strange system, but it seems to make sense now. I'll take a look into it, and I'll also have a chat to someone in the bank and see what they have to say for advice (actually going into the bank, the call centre is in India and what with phones being awful sometimes I feel like occasionally I'd have more luck understanding a Scotsman!)- at the end of the day it's in their interests to keep my money safe because I'm out of there if they lose it...
I might give Wonga a ring to register a complaint and get them to put a black mark against my name on their records. I'm never going to borrow money from them ever anyway
I might give Wonga a ring to register a complaint and get them to put a black mark against my name on their records. I'm never going to borrow money from them ever anyway
wst said:
How does one go about getting a credit check? Let's just say that as a 20 year old, this stuff was never taught in school or college, but instead I had to learn bloody Latin...
A promeritum perscriptio impeditivae vestri promeritum-dignitatem, quae fundatur super puncta ratio.Streaky
wst said:
Y'see, the point I was making was more along the lines of "what the hell is a credit check?", rather than "Where do I go?" - everyone's seen the experian adverts, but none of this stuff actually explains what it actually is... hence my comment about learning a dead language instead of getting a "PErsonal finances" lesson in school. Great answer, you sarcastic twunt. Use your brain once in a while, aye? We're not all born as little Alan Sugars, you know. It's no stupider a question than "what car?" and I don't see you being a moron in those threads (because I don't read them, to be honest. But if I did, I imagine I wouldn't see you being a moron there, or is that a case of me displaying too much hope?).
stew, that sounds quite nifty. I'll have to do a bit more research as evidently my financial knowledge is bloody lacking, partly from a lack of education in the matter, and partly because when I ask for information (for example, when it is relevant, like now) I get some decent answers and some stupid people wasting pixels. Thanks for the tip, should I take it!
Aut quaeram vos volo respondit aut develope sensu humor.stew, that sounds quite nifty. I'll have to do a bit more research as evidently my financial knowledge is bloody lacking, partly from a lack of education in the matter, and partly because when I ask for information (for example, when it is relevant, like now) I get some decent answers and some stupid people wasting pixels. Thanks for the tip, should I take it!
wst said:
I think wonga were given my account/card details by someone who had the loan paid into a different account. It's a flaw in wonga's business plan, certainly.
How does one go about getting a credit check? Let's just say that as a 20 year old, this stuff was never taught in school or college, but instead I had to learn bloody Latin...
It was probably Earl - although to be honest, the two old biddys look equally dodgy!How does one go about getting a credit check? Let's just say that as a 20 year old, this stuff was never taught in school or college, but instead I had to learn bloody Latin...
You would have been better off learning Chinese than Latin!
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