More chased for Wonga loans they didn’t take out

15  January 2013

A growing number of people have reported becoming victims of a scam which involves criminals using people’s bank details to steal cash through the payday lender Wonga.

On Monday we reported the case of Andrew Cotterrell of Somerset who was hit with a demand for £405.50 by Wonga, despite the 54-year never having used a payday lender. Since then Andrew said that two further members of his family have become victims.

“One of them is autistic and has no bank account. How could Wonga have passed him as acceptable?” he wants to know. “Why does Wonga not match the person they credit check to the person they pay?” he added.

Ben Cox, a 19-year old student at the University of Central Lancashire, only discovered he was a victim this month after a text balance update revealed almost £600 had been snatched from his account. His bank told him Wonga had taken the money.

“I had never used Wonga and, after answering several questions from the bank’s fraud department, the cash was refunded,” he said. But my card was cancelled leaving it difficult for me to pay for essentials.”

Lucy Wright, 24, from Hampshire, also became a victim, which she only discovered when she checked her online balance.

Wonga said fraud accounts for less than 0.01 per cent of all its loans.

A spokesman said: “Where criminals get through the net, our fraud team works with the victims of identity theft and the relevant police authorities wherever possible.”