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Loan sharks are illegal lenders, who will offer to lend money to people who are not able to borrow money from places like banks and other financial organisations.

Look out for the warning signs of a loan shark, they:

• won’t give you any paperwork or receipts
• will give cash loans or bank transfers
• won’t give clear information about the loan repayments
• may take your possessions to secure the loan, for example bank card or passport
• will increase the debt
• may begin Intimidating you and making threats of violence to you and your family

A loan shark has no legal right to ask for the money back.

For help, support and to report a loan shark (this can be done anonymously) visit the GOV UK Report a loan shark