Bad Credit Loans: Avoiding Scams

If you need money quickly but do not have the best credit score, applying for a loan may feel intimidating. Fortunately, when it comes to bad credit loans, Canada has many reliable lenders. Unfortunately, many scammers are also looking to exploit people in challenging credit situations.

Read on for information on how bad credit loan scams often work and how to protect yourself.

What is a bad credit loan scam?

Bad credit loan scams could take several forms.

Scammers may urge you to disclose sensitive information, like your social security or credit card numbers, during your application process. They may either sell that data or use it themselves to access your accounts.

Some scams convince you to allow scammers entry into your bank accounts or ownership over other property. Fraudulent loans may also charge exorbitant fees without dispersing the promised funds.

Loan scams usually operate by offering potential borrowers benefits they cannot fulfill.

Knowing the signs

While loan scams may aim to defraud consumers in various ways, they typically utilize similar strategies and tools. Even if you need money quickly, it pays to watch out for the following signs that a potential lender is operating a bad credit loan scam.

Urgency  

It’s in the scammers’ best interest for you to act without thinking. Therefore, they often create false urgency to persuade you to apply or pay a fee immediately.

They may tell you are at risk of legal action or repossession of property. Alternatively, they may present an imminent deadline to apply for a low interest rate, often within a day or a few hours.

Always take the time to research a lender before you give them any of your personal information.

Suspicious website

Websites for loan servicers’ must process sensitive data in high volumes. Therefore, reliable lenders should prioritize privacy and security online.

If a website address does not begin with “https” or display a padlock icon, the connection is not secure and may compromise your personal information. It is also beneficial to double-check URLs for spelling errors like repeated letters. That could mean a scammer is trying to impersonate a genuine lender.

Guaranteed approval

Reputable lenders always require an application that assesses your credit, income, or other aspects of your financial life before offering a loan.

However, scammers sometimes advertise guaranteed approval for all applicants. This tactic is especially dangerous to people with bad credit, who may worry that they will not qualify for any assistance otherwise.

No physical address

Many illegitimate businesses operate without a physical address. That way, it is harder for authorities to track them down.

However, most legitimate lenders work out of one or more physical locations. If your lender does not have an address online, that may signal fraud.

Always look up lenders’ addresses to confirm that the physical location they offer exists.

How to verify a legitimate lender

Thankfully, many legitimate institutions offer loans to people with low credit scores.

If a company does not have any of the red flags listed above, but you still want to confirm its validity, you can take a few additional steps.

First, verify all the contact information they provide—look up street addresses and call phone numbers. Then, look the company’s name up on government business registries. Finally, read reviews on third-party review websites. It is likely safe to proceed with the loan if the lender passes each of those tests.

The bottom line

While bad credit loans could help you navigate difficult situations, bad actors may exploit that vulnerability to take your money or personal information.

Fortunately, loan scams usually feature similar identifying traits so that you can avoid illegitimate lenders. Before applying for a loan, always research to protect yourself from fraud.