Shock over bank security blunder (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Nationwide launches inquiry after card and PIN are accidentally sent to wrong address in Swain House, Bradford

7:00am Thursday 25th October 2012 in News

A Bradford woman who was sent a stranger’s bank card and PIN has criticised the building society responsible’s seemingly lax security procedures.

Angela Jones says Nationwide seemed to rely solely on trust that she did not use the card, addressed to the house she has lived in for more than 12 years.

When the 35-year-old called the society to let it know of the situation, she was told to simply told drop the card and PIN off in one of its branches or post it back. She says her personal details, nor the details of the intended recipient, were requested.

Nationwide now says it will investigate how the mistake happened.

Miss Jones, of Moser Crescent, Swain House, said on Saturday her son Kyle, eight, brought her the letter in a bundle handed to him by the postman.

She opened it not reading the name, only to find it was the bank card of a man she had never heard of.

And on Monday morning she received another letter from Nationwide – a PIN to go with that card, meaning she had full access to the stranger’s bank account.

She said: “I’m not even with Nationwide, and I’ve never had any mail for this man sent here before.

“I called them and they just told me to send it back, they didn’t want my details.

“They didn’t want to know my name, my address, or who the card holder was. If it had been sent to someone else things could have been very different. They could have gone out and used the card. It is scary really, I’m just glad I don’t bank with them.”

A spokesman for Nationwide said: “We take data protection very seriously and we’re sorry if Miss Jones has received a letter at her address, which we will investigate thoroughly.

“In general, if we find out an account holder no longer resides at their registered address, it is our standard procedure to ensure the card and future correspondence is stopped.”