How 違法な 貸付金 sharks prey on 世帯s desperate for credit

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For most people, 長，率いるing to a 貸付金 shark is the stuff of?Guy Ritchie films and gritty 罪，犯罪 演劇s.

However, for 集まりs around the country, 違法な money 貸す人s have become the only way to afford necessities, from 世帯 法案s?to baby 決まり文句／製法.

But borrowing money from a 貸付金 shark is risky, with many 用意が出来ている to 脅す 暴力／激しさ or even death ーするために get 支払い（額）.?

によれば a 2022 報告（する）／憶測 from the Centre for Social 司法（官）, an 概算の 1.08 million people around the country took 貸付金s out with 違法な 貸す人s.

As the cost-of-living 危機 continues in earnest, more and more people are struggling to afford 必須の items, and are looking for other ways to 会合，会う their 支払い（額）s and look after their families.?

As a result, the number of people using 貸付金 sharks could 井戸／弁護士席 have risen since 2022.

Growing 問題／発行する: A third of 犠牲者s of 貸付金 sharks said they had been 脅すd with 暴力／激しさ

The Centre for Social 司法（官） told This is Money: 'In the long 影をつくる／尾行する of high インフレーション, 利益／興味 率s 増加するs, spiralling food, 燃料 and energy 法案s, we've seen growing 依存 on credit cards and Buy Now 支払う／賃金 Later, with 世帯 貯金 減ずるing and mortgage arrears 増加するing.?

'For the most 攻撃を受けやすい individuals and financially exposed 世帯s, the 誘惑する of the neighbourhood 貸付金 shark must be almost irresistible にもかかわらず the real dangers they 現在の.'

正確な and up-to-date 人物／姿／数字s for the number of people who are using 違法な 貸す人s are, unsurprisingly, difficult to come by. 犠牲者s are often too afraid or ashamed to come 今後 about their borrowing.

Of course, given the illegality of 貸付金 sharking, 貸す人s aren't going to be 来たるべき with data on who has borrowed and what 肉親，親類d of 貸付金 they have taken out.?

However, with as many as 2.8 million 拒絶する／低下するd 貸付金s over the past two years, によれば the Joseph Rowntree 創立／基礎, it is likely that many people have had no choice but to 捜し出す out 貸付金 sharks for the money they need to 生き残る.

Tony Quigley, 長，率いる of the 違法な Money Lending Team, which 調査／捜査するs and 起訴するs 貸付金 sharks and supports borrowers, said, 'People are struggling to make ends 会合，会う and they do need to borrow, but for さまざまな 推論する／理由s, some people 簡単に cannot 接近 or do not choose credit through mainstream channels.'

によれば 見積（る）s from the Money and 年金s Service, more than nine million adults across the UK have been 拒絶する／低下するd for all types credit, apart from mortgages, in a year alone.

Bank on Dave: Dave Fishwick, who is taking on 違法な 貸す人s, says some will think that using a 貸付金 shark is their only 選択 when 伝統的な 貸す人s 辞退する to 申し込む／申し出 any 援助

Adam Butler, public 政策 経営者／支配人 at 負債 charity StepChange, told This is Money: 'We are ますます worrie d about 接近 to affordable and 維持できる credit 選択s for the most financially 攻撃を受けやすい, 特に in light of the 現在進行中の cost of living 圧力s which have 衝撃d people's 財政上の 安全.

'A 選び出す／独身, 予期しない 財政上の shock can 押し進める people with little to no 財政上の resilience into a 負債 spiral, if they have no other 選択s besides turning to high-cost credit or even 貸付金 sharks. Our 最近の 投票ing 設立する that one in eight people would not be able to cover any of an 予期しない expense of £1,000 without turning to borrowing.'

Disturbingly, Dave Fishwick, the 創立者 of Burley 貯金 & 貸付金s and inspiration for Netflix's Bank of Dave, said one 貸付金 shark told him that he 見解（をとる）s himself as '必須の service for people who cannot get help from a bank'.

The 貸付金 shark, who Fishwick spoke to as part of a （選挙などの）運動をする against 違法な lending with ITV's Good Morning Britain, 追加するd that he has lent as much as £100,000 to somebody ーするために 支払う／賃金 off their mortgage. The 貸す人 then 推定する／予想するd £150,000 to be paid six months later.

'He says the only time the 負債's written off is if he dead and he said the third visit that I made to somebody is the last one. He's a very, very 汚い piece of work,' Fishwick told This is Money.

On the ground, Fishwick said he is only seeing the problem get worse.

'Fifty-four banks are の近くにing every month,' he said, 'that's one this morning and one this afternoon, every month, every day.

'At the end of this year there's going to be 600 banks いっそう少なく than there is now… that's 600 more 適切な時期s for 貸付金 sharks to operate in that space.'

Since January 2015, this 量s to the 終結 of 5,934 bank 支店s, によれば Which?.

構内／化合物ing the 問題／発行する is the 転換 に向かって cashless 支払い（額）, にもかかわらず millions still relying on cash 支払い（額）s.

'Some towns and villages don't even have a cash machine,' Fishwick said, 'so when this guy is in the pub and he has a few thousand 続けざまに猛撃するs in his pocket and he is 申し込む／申し出ing to lend it to you, there will be a 確かな 量 of people who will think it is the only 選択.'

'The fact that money is disappearing is going to 増加する the numbers of 貸付金 sharks out there because they're the ones that got pocket 十分な of cash. It's instant and it's going to be very tempting when there's no 代案／選択肢.'

What are the dangers?

Unlike a high street 貸す人, a 貸付金 sha rk isn't going to carry out a credit check, they certainly don't have a license, and are more often than not willing to go to serious lengths to get the money that they have been 約束d.

Of the 780 犠牲者s that were helped by the 違法な Money Lending Team in 2023, the 貸付金 shark 捜査官／調査官 said 31 per cent of these 犠牲者s were 脅すd with physical 害（を与える） or were 強襲，強姦d by a 貸す人 before 報告（する）／憶測ing them to the team.

Nine per cent of these 犠牲者s said their 貸す人 示唆するd 性の services as 支払い（額） in 肉親，親類d for their 貸付金.

捜査官／調査官s: The 違法な Money Lending Team 作品 with the 財政上の 行為／行う 当局 and police to 起訴する 貸付金 sharks, who can leave their 犠牲者s in physical and 財政上の 苦しめる

Unsurprisingly, a 大規模な 81 per cent said they were experiencing extreme 強調する／ストレス, worry or 不景気 because of borrowing from a 貸付金 shark, with a third considering or 試みる／企てるing 自殺.

Of these 犠牲者s, the youngest was just 19, while the oldest was 91. The 貸付金s taken also 変化させる 大いに, with the lowest just £30 for 世帯 法案s, but even this spiralled to a 返済 of £480 by the borrower.

On the other end of the spectrum, one 犠牲者 borrowed £99,000, but paid 支援する £450,000 over a 25-year period.

Once 犠牲者s first 行方不明になる a 支払い（額）, they find that their 負債s begin to spiral and they become 罠にかける in a cycle of ever-growing 負債, giving them no choice but to borrow even more.

'[違法な 貸す人s] 的 people when they are at their most 攻撃を受けやすい and often will use deceptive 策略, pretending to be a friend doing a favour. Once they have people on the hook, they will do whatever they can to keep them there and will bleed them 乾燥した，日照りの,' Quigley told This is Money.

'In 2023, 17 per cent of the people we supported had borrowed more than 10 times. These 違法な 貸す人s 罠（にかける） them in a cycle of 負債, they have to borrow more to 支払う／賃金 支援する what they already 借りがある and they feel they can never escape.'

一方／合間, 14 per cent could not remember how many times they had borrowed, and just a fifth had only taken out one 貸付金.

Illusion of friendship

In many 事例／患者s, 犠牲者s of 貸付金 sharks do not realise or consider the 危険s of borrowing money, as 貸付金 sharks are often embedded into communities. A 大規模な 43 per cent of 犠牲者s believed they were friends at the point they first borrowed money.

Moving with the times: Eight per cent of 貸付金 shark 犠牲者s said they met their 貸す人 online

In fact, the IMLT said more than half of the 犠牲者s it helped in 2023 met an 違法な 貸す人 through friends or family, while 14 per cent met them at work.

Perhaps more worryingly, 8 per cent met their 貸付金 shark online, 示唆するing that 犯罪のs are making the most of modern 科学（工学）技術 to amp up their lending 操作／手術s.

The friendly 関係 that people often have with a 貸付金 shark, at least at the beginning of their borrowing, means that they can be loathe to 報告（する）／憶測 脅しs to the police. In other 事例／患者s, 犠牲者s are often too afraid to 報告（する）／憶測 脅しs for 恐れる of the repercussions if they do.

However, 国民's Advice recommends calling the police すぐに if any 脅し is made, even if the 貸す人 is a friend or family member.

For those struggling with 負債, Butler recommends 捜し出すing 解放する／自由な advice.

'We would encourage anyone struggling with their 財政／金融s and considering using credit to 対処する to 捜し出す 解放する／自由な and impartial 負債 advice from a reputable charity like StepChange,' he said.

'Even if you're not 現在／一般に in 負債, we can 申し込む／申し出 解放する／自由な 予算ing advice and help to identify any 利用できる 利益s that you may be 適格の for but not 現在／一般に （人命などを）奪う，主張するing.'

類似して, those 苦しむing at the 手渡すs of 貸付金 sharks can 報告（する）／憶測 the 貸す人 to the 違法な Money Lending Team.

'As soon as they speak to us we can help them start the 旅行 to escape the cycle of 負債 they are stuck in,' Quigley said.

Anyone who believes they might have been 的d by a 貸付金 shark can 接触する the Stop 貸付金 Sharks 24-hour confidential helpline on 0300 555 2222, email reportaloanshark@stoploansharks.gov.uk or 完全にする an online 報告（する）／憶測 form at www.stoploansharks.co.uk. Live 雑談（する） is 利用できる on the website from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.