A loan app is sending threats to me and my contacts. What can I do?
Keep the messages and check whether the lender is licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya. Using your contacts to shame you can break data protection rules, and you can complain to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC).
Some loan apps ask for access to your contacts and then message them with threats or insults when a payment is late. Others are fake apps that take a "processing fee" and never give a loan.
If you owe money, that debt is real, but harassment and sharing your data with your contacts are separate matters you can complain about.
What to do
- Screenshot the threats and the numbers they come from.
- Check the lender on the CBK's list of licensed digital credit providers.
- Remove the app's access to your contacts.
- Complain to the ODPC about misuse of your data.
- Report threats at the police station.
Frequently asked questions
- A loan app asked for a fee before giving me the loan. Is that normal?
- Be careful. Paying a fee to receive a loan is a common sign of a fake lender.
Want to know if there are warning signs about the person you're chatting to? Veritaza checks the photos, the messages, the number, the email address, the name and the ID document, for KSh 300.
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