Loan sharks in Teesside

Loan sharks, or illegal money lenders, can make life a misery for many people. But if you're having trouble, there are people who can help.

A loan shark is someone who offers a cash loan without paperwork with huge amounts of interest or APR. They might take your bank card, passport or valuables until you pay; they could even threaten you if you don't pay.

But loan sharks are illegal and need to be stopped. You can report loan sharks in your area by:

What is a loan shark

You can watch a film about people affected by loan sharks. You can see how they dealt with the problem on the Shark Master film.

Check your lender

If someone is offering to lend you money, you can check whether they're authorised to do so at: www.loansmart.org.uk

If the name of the lender isn't on the website, you can report them using the contacts above.