Wonga tried to take ~£500 from me today - I've never used it

Wonga tried to take ~£500 from me today - I've never used it

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wst

Original Poster:

3,494 posts

160 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
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!

SmoothCriminal

5,047 posts

198 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
This was on watchdog a few weeks back!! Lucky they didn't sting you for the money.

Mojooo

12,668 posts

179 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
I'd run a credit check to make sure somone hasnt tried to use your identity to take a loan

wonga are unlikely to be randomly trying your acocun unless someone had given it to them or one of their staff made a mistake.

streaky

19,311 posts

248 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
There is a low level of compromised PEDs in use. Some petrol stations have used them.

Streaky

wst

Original Poster:

3,494 posts

160 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
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...

DWP

1,232 posts

214 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
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...
Google

ruff'n'smov

1,092 posts

148 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
Just google 'credit check' experian, and a couple of others who's names escape me at the moment....will do the job for

Dogwatch

6,222 posts

221 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
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.

stewjohnst

2,442 posts

160 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
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 smile

wst

Original Poster:

3,494 posts

160 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
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!

stewjohnst

2,442 posts

160 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
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

Mojooo

12,668 posts

179 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
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.


wst

Original Poster:

3,494 posts

160 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
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 wink

streaky

19,311 posts

248 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
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

sunbeam alpine

6,936 posts

187 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
Ecce Streaky!

Are they attacking the ditches yet?

DWP

1,232 posts

214 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
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.

streaky

19,311 posts

248 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
sunbeam alpine said:
Ecce Streaky!

Are they attacking the ditches yet?
Ad moenia, Roma indiget vos.

Streaky

Mill Wheel

6,149 posts

195 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
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!

You would have been better off learning Chinese than Latin!

sugerbear

3,961 posts

157 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
streaky said:
There is a low level of compromised PEDs in use. Some petrol stations have used them.

Streaky
PED - Performance Enchancing Frug or Pressure Equipment Directive ?


XDA

2,141 posts

184 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
sugerbear said:
streaky said:
There is a low level of compromised PEDs in use. Some petrol stations have used them.

Streaky
PED - Performance Enchancing Frug or Pressure Equipment Directive ?
Pin Entry Device (Chip & Pin terminal)?