The letters carry a banner ordering the recipient “Do Not Ignore This Letter” and demand payment within seven days whilst some used phrases such as “We are instructed by our client” and contained a separate Smith and Lawson email address.
The OFT asked the company to change the wording of the letters, which it said were potentially misleading.
It is alleged that the thousands of the letters had been sent since 2005.
The revelations, combined with those about Wonga’s tactics, have led to increasing pressure for an inquiry into the practice.
The Student Loans Company said that the use of a pseudonym was a “cost saving exercise” as it meant that they did not have to pay commission to conventional debt collecting agencies.
Marc Gander, founder of the Consumer Action Group, told the Daily Mail: “When we find that Wonga tactics are being used by a lender which is so close to the government … it shows very clearly how out of control the lending industry really is.
The Student Loans Company said that it was made clear on “all relevant correspondences” that Smith and Lawson was a trading name.
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