Loan Sharks/ Illegal Money Lending – Mike McAughtrie (England Illegal Money Lending Team)

Stop Loan Sharks - we are a National Trading Standards team with sole responsibility for investigating and prosecuting the crime of Illegal Money Lending in England. As well as enforcement we are experienced and passionate about supporting those affected.

This session will explain what the hidden crime of Illegal Money Lending is and how Loan Sharks target their victims. We will discuss red flags to watch out for and how to support those affected to seek help. This will include information on safety and exactly what you can expect when you or your client contacts us.

We will use real life cases to illustrate the issues and talk about the changes we have seen. These will include the rise of lending online and how t predatory lending  and the enforcement of payments can look different across communities. And why the term "Loan Shark" itself  can be unhelpful. 

Finally we will look at options for supporting people with access to safe savings and credit as well as access to advice on debt and money issues. All questions and comments welcomed. 

Dates