Leeds Beckett student raises £6,500 in crowdfunding for anti-fraud wallet

Entrepreneur and Leeds Beckett University student, Ibbe Raja, developer of Vinco

Ibbe Raja, a 21-year-old computing undergraduate developed Vinco - a wallet that protects against contactless card theft - with brother Jalil Raja, 20, and friend Sam Andrews, 20.

The trio launched an indiegogo campaign to fund the manufacture of the wallets, with an initial target of £3,300.

The target has been almost doubled, with 18 days still left to run on the campaign. So far, 261 people have backed the invention.

Mr Raja: “Crowdfunding gives creative projects in need of a cash injection an online platform to garner public funding within an allocated timeframe, and we could not be happier that we have surpassed our target, ahead of the deadline, and that the public have got behind us.

“We are so grateful to every single investor who believes in and has pledged towards the Vinco wallet.”

Many wallets are susceptible to RFID skimming, where devices are used to deduct cash from debit and credit cards without the owner’s knowledge.

Vinco came about after one of Mr Raja’s friends fell victim to the crime.

The wallet, which has been tested against RFID readers, weighs 30g and can hold up to seven cards.

It is available in black, blue, brown and pink, as well as a limited-edition orange version, which has been launched to celebrate the crowdfunding success.

Wallets are available for £20, or £17 for indiegogo investors.

“Thanks to this major investment, we can now focus on the exciting times ahead – developing the product to make it the best it can be and shipping Vinco wallets to customers around the world,” Mr Raja said.