Scams & Safety Guides
Stay safe when you borrow. Learn how to spot loan scams on WhatsApp, social media and fake apps, why legitimate lenders never ask for upfront fees, how to check a lender on the National Credit Regulator’s register, and how mashonisas and loan sharks differ from registered credit providers. If something feels wrong, these guides show you where to report it.
6 guides
A loan shark (mashonisa) is an unregistered lender who charges illegal, sky-high interest outside the law, often keeping your ID, bank card or SASSA card as security and using intimidation to force payment.
Financial abuse (economic abuse) is when someone uses money to control, limit or harm another, controlling all the money, preventing a partner from working, hiding accounts, or using money as a threat.
A registered lender is a credit provider registered with the National Credit Regulator and bound by the National Credit Act, capped on interest and fees, required to check affordability, and required to give you a pre-agreement quote.
Every neighbourhood has one. The person who lends R500 on a Tuesday with no forms, no queue and no questions — because they live three doors down and…
The message arrives on a Tuesday. "Good day! You qualify for R15,000, blacklisted welcome, paid out in 30 minutes." There is a logo that looks almost like a…
Online loan scams are fake loan offers built to steal your money or personal details.
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