What is a loan shark?
Loan sharks are illegal moneylenders who often charge very high interest rates. They may use threats and violence to frighten people who can’t pay back their loan.
You may have been dealt with by a loan shark if you have ever:
- been offered a cash loan without any paperwork
- been threatened because you couldn’t pay
- had your bank card taken away from you, other than by the bank itself
Report a loan shark
You can check if a company is authorised to lend money and report loan sharks anonymously. Search the Financial Services Register to check whether companies or individuals are authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to lend money.
Report a loan shark
To report an incident please contact 0300 555 2222 or email reportaloanshark@stoploansharks.gov.uk
You can also send a private message using Facebook at facebook.com/stoploansharksproject