A Salford Quays company has been fined £30,000 for sending 120,000 spam text messages to cash-strapped victims.
The debt management company National Debt Advice (NDA) was fined by the Information Commissioners Office, after the watchdog received 4,033 complaints about the texts.
The NDA, based in Exchange Quay, was found by the standards watchdog to have been targeting people going through financial hardships.
The company sent 129,902 spam messages after purchasing personal data from third party suppliers, which included loan decline data so they could accurately target people who had been turned down for loans.
The Information Commissioners Office found that the company had failed to conduct appropriate consent checks.
Andy Curry, ICO head of investigations, said: “Both of these companies bombarded people with spam messages often preying on those who might be expecting difficult financial circumstances.
“To then be hounded by numerous unwarranted text messages, just adds further stress to people in those situations.”
Mr Curry continued: “It is so important that companies gain consent to send direct messages.
“Relying on third-party claims of consent, without undertaking the most basic of checks, is far from responsible conduct by these companies, and that’s why we took action.”
Anyone who has been affected by similar issues can seek help from Salford Citizens Advice, which offers confidential and impartial advice to residents of Salford, and campaigns on big consumer issues affecting people’s lives.
And anyone worried about their financial situation, can follow Salford Council’s debt advice.
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