Seetec has been recognised for its work raising awareness of the dangers of using loan sharks
It’s all too easy these days to find yourself caught out by unscrupulous money lenders. So what are the warning signs you should look out for to make sure you stay safe?
Our teams at Seetec have been working with the England Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT) to learn how they can support people to avoid the dangers, and help anyone who has borrowed money from a scam lender.
And now we’ve been recognised with a national award for our initiatives in making communities safer.
Seetec employee-owner, Katherine, who is a specialist support co-ordinator for the company, first approached IMLT around a year ago and since then has implemented several training and awareness sessions for colleagues to help them give support and advice to the people we help.
“At Seetec we work with thousands of people who often have complicated lives and could be at risk of being a victim of a loan shark,” Kat tells us.
“Working with the Stop Loan Shark team has been really rewarding, spreading awareness about the risks of becoming a victim of loan sharks, how they operate and how to get support.
“It’s great to know that we’ve now been awarded Partner Recognition accreditation.”
Warning Signs
A report published by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) estimated that there could be up to 1.08 million people in debt to loan sharks in England, with some lenders demanding sexual favours as repayment from borrowers.
Warning signs to indicate that you could be dealing with a loan shark include giving no paperwork upon the agreement of the loan, refusing to give detailed information about a loan, taking items such as a bank card or passport until the debt is paid, and taking things from you if you do not pay on time.
“If we, at Seetec, can help even just one person avoid being the victim of a loan shark, or support one person who is a victim to speak up and get support, then we have succeeded,” says Kat.
“Let’s all work together to protect our participants and our staff and stop loan sharks.”
Congratulations
Tony Quigley, Head of England Illegal Money Lending Team sent us this message:
“We would like to congratulate everyone at Seetec on their partner recognition award, and thank them for their outstanding efforts tackling loan sharks.
“Loan sharks are criminals that prey on the most vulnerable people in our communities. They trap their victims into spiralling debt and will often use intimidation and violence.
“We will not tolerate illegal money lending and would urge anyone with information about this crime to report it as soon as possible.”
Help is at hand
If you or someone you know is involved with a loan shark, call the Stop Loan Sharks 24-Hour Helpline on 0300 555 2222 or access support online at StopLoanSharks.co.uk Live chat is available on the website between 9am and 5pm, Monday – Friday.
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