THE Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has said the number of delisted loan apps from the Google Play store has risen to 37.
The FCCPC disclosed this on its official website, and checks by The ICIR on Tuesday, September 12, showed the number of fully approved loan apps is 164, loan apps with conditional approval are 38, loan apps on the watchlist are 56, and four apps under waivers or licenced by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
On July 21, 2023, The ICIR reported that the FCCPC delisted two digital money lenders for violating customer privacy.
The chief executive officer of the FCCPC, Babatunde Irukera, had said some loan apps resorted to unethical, obnoxious, and unscrupulously exploitative practices in the industry.
The FCCPC had in August requested Google, the owner of the Play Store, to remove illegal apps operating without regulatory approval.
The commission had flagged many loan apps for violating the Limited Interim Regulatory/Registration Framework and Guidelines for Digital Lending, 2022, and initiated efforts to shake up the digital money lending space following harassment of Nigerians by loan app lenders.
“In furtherance of the investigation by the Joint Regulatory and Enforcement Task Force (JRETF) into possible violation of privacy and other rights by Digital Money Lenders (DMLs), the FCCPC has resumed the registration of digital money lending Apps under the Limited Interim Regulatory Framework and Guidelines for Digital Lending 2022,” the FCCPC stated.
According to the commission, delisted loan apps were permanently deleted by Google from the Play Store, the Punch reported.
The ICIR has made several reports on the illegal activities of the loan app operators who collected customers’ data, images and other vital information and secretly used them to harass, intimidate and shame customers.
In a report on Monday, April 10, the spokesperson of FCCPC, Ondaje Ijagwu, told The ICIR that the Federal government was putting measures in place to enforce the latest policy by Google.
The commission requested Google to prohibit loan apps from accessing contacts and images of their customers.
The FCCPC’s chairman, Irukera, also promised that the commission’s renewed drive would protect Nigerians’ privacy, thereby tackling the violation of customers’ privacy by loan app operators.
The ICIR recalls that Google had established a policy to remove illegal loan apps from the Play Store in Nigeria, effective January 31, 2023.
Online loan fintech companies sometimes send WhatsApp and text messages to every contact on their customer’s phones, claiming they are debtors and fraudsters.
In August 2021, The ICIR reported how Nigerian fintech companies shamed and threatened customers for late payment of loans.
While many experts in the technology ecosystem have raised concerns over the breach of personal data, the resources manager at the Fintech Association of Nigeria, Seun Folorunso, had told The ICIR in a report that scammers would likely succeed unless the online loan companies introduced a high-level multi-factor authentication like pictures and fingerprints.
Below is the lists of the 37 delisted loan apps:
1. Swiftkash App
2. Hen Credit Loan App
3. Cash Door App
4. Joy Cash-Loan Up To 1,000,000 App
5. Eaglecash App
6. Luckyloan Personal Loan App
7. Getloan App
8. Easeloan Apps
9. Naira Naija
10. Cashlawn App
11. Easynaira App
12. Crediting App
13. Yoyi App
14. Nut Loan App
14. Cashpal App
15. Nairaeasy Gist Loan App
16. Camelloan App
17. Nairaloan App
18. Moneytreefinance Made Easy App
19. Cashme App
20. Secucash App
21. Creditbox App
22. Cashmama App
23. Crimson Credit App
24. Galaxy Credit App
25. Ease Cash App
26. Xcredit
27. Imoney
28. Naira Naija
29. Imoneyplus-Instant
30. Nairanaija-Instant
31. Nownowmoney
32. Naija Cash
33. Eagle Cash
34. Firstnell App
35. Flypay
36. Spark Credit
37. Luckyloan Personal Loan App
A lot of loan apps do these. It starts with them giving you loan offers with ridiculous interests and short term of 5 or 7 days to repay. And even when they give you 7 days to repay they message and start harassing and threatening you on the sixth day as if your loan is months overdue and you have no intention of paying back. They would even go as far as sending messages to contacts with your bvn, phone number, full name and all. And the installment term never changes, you can’t pay to extend the time, you can’t get more than 7 days even with good repayment history, and you have to deal with threats and derogatory messages from their agents even before the due date reaches, you always have to repay the amount in 7 days whether it’s 500k or 1M you collect, you will still sha pay it in 7 days. It’s not reasonable! The apps in particular I know that does this is
-Daily Loan
I also had similar experience with KUDICASH.
They are on playstore known as Kudicash for a safe and reliable loan.
I wanted to give they a try after seeing their Facebook ad offering a business loan with a low interest rate over four months. Despite my initial hesitation due to past experiences, I eventually decided to apply. After downloading and entering my information, I was granted a 4,000 loan to be repaid in 5 days, but they didn’t specify the repayment amount. To my frustration, I received only 2560 late at night, after securing funds elsewhere.
Adding to the issue, the money was sent directly to my GTBank account, not their dashboard, making it challenging to return. When I attempted to refund, I struggled to find the process. Despite my efforts to contact them, it took two days to successfully refund the exact amount.
Now, more than two of their agents have been incessantly texting ND calling, cursing, and threatening me, including ominous warnings to “wash my back.” 😭😭
On 17-11-2023, I received a text message and a call from a Cashfarm agent offering a business loan with a low interest rate over four months. Initially disinterested due to past experiences, I reluctantly agreed under the condition that if their terms differed, I wouldn’t proceed. Despite my concerns about the loan app not being on the Play Store, the agent assured me it was safe. After downloading and inputting my information, I was granted a loan of 6,000 to repay 10,910 in seven days. Realizing my reservations, I contacted the agent, informing them of my decision not to proceed and that the 6,000 remained unused in their dashboard. Despite multiple attempts to reach her, the agent read my messages but didn’t respond or answer my calls.
Now they are going about sending the message I will be attaching below to all my contacts
“Ukeme Ayadu Sunday(0905-5-3-9-) a WANTED CRIMINAL, she kidnapped a 2yrs old baby, and sells human shaved hair to her RITUAL CLIENTS! SEND AND REPORT TO SAVE LIVES!
I’d like to pursue legal action for defamation of character. Despite my attempts to communicate the consequences of their actions through calls and messages, they blocked me instead of responding. How can I make them accountable for their actions? Your assistance would be appreciated, Sir/Ma.
Interesting article on the delisting of loan apps from Google Play Store by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC). It’s good to see regulatory bodies taking action against predatory lending practices that can harm consumers financially. Hopefully, this move will help protect users from falling into debt traps and promote a more responsible approach to financial services in the country.
My loan of 5k was one day overdue i was surprised to get message that was threatening me i was surprised cus that not the first time my loan have been overdue before little did i know they have been ban from play store
My loan of 5k was one day overdue i was surprised to get message that was threatening me i was surprised cus that not the first time my loan have been overdue before
Omo na them sabi, everyone know say the country hard, but for these loaners they’re evil. God forbid. Like this eh, I no dey pay shishii 😒😏. Rubbish people😂😋.if you are still worried about them or what they will do to you if you’re owing them, sorry oooo 😂🤣na u sabi, that’s to your own detriment. Do not mind whatever messages or threats they send to you on daily basis. Most of those loaners are fast killers, crooks, life hunters and real time scammers. Like this eh……. Am owing about…. of them😌, but I no dey pay shishii 😒 it’s over a year and some months now since overdue and none of them were able to call or send messages to my contacts and post my pictures anywhere. They are even tired of calling me😌😏.Dem dey crase. If you wish to know how to deny them access and how to clear your contacts and data from their server send me a DM on WhatsApp @09151977310. But if you’re one of their agents and you disguise into my DM, let me not swear for you and your smartphone shaa 😏. Nonsense people.
Hi.pls I would like to report some loan sharks. Their agent has become something else to the public. They cursed,embarrass,harass and even threatened to call the loanees contacts and even placed her picture on social media.These are the list of the loan app
Palmcredit
Xcrosscash
Get naira
Naira plus
Fundy
Easy Money
Palmnaira
Easy kash
Oh money
Ucredit
Aje loan.
Pls help us do something about it because so many people has committed suicide because of their threath.
Hi every one experienced threat and numerous harassment from their agents who doesnt have any manners at all..saying vulgar language and threatening us that they will post the pic and ids in social media ..why are they doing these type of practices…due to late payments and minimal amount of money . The nerve to shame their client..pls do something about this and i hope they will be permanently banned at the google store or app store
Here are the list
Pesohere
Peramoo
Cashme
Valley loan
Cash peso
May pera
Pera for u
LPESO
EASY JUAN
MF CASH
PESO PLUS
PESO ZONE
Hi every one experienced threat and numerous harassment from their agents who doesnt have any manners at all..saying vulgar language and threatening me that they will post the pic and ids in social media ..why are they doing these type of practices…due to late payments and minimal amount of money . The nerve to shame their client..pls do something about this and i hope they will be permanently banned at the google store or app store
Here are the list
Pesohere
Peramoo
Cashme
Valley loan
Cash peso
May pera
Pera for u
LPESO
EASY JUAN
MF CASH
PESO PLUS
PESO ZONE
Hi. I would like to report the following online lending apps for their harassing texts and calls and also for accessing our phones without prior permission. May they be banned from google play.
1. Moca-moca
2. Phpocket
3. Valley loan
4. Lemon Loan
5. Ipeso
6. Opeso
7. Lendease
8. Pinoy peso
9. Peramoo
10. Cashme
11. Madaloan
12. Madaliloan
13. Pesoloan
14. Pautangpeso
They have been contacting all our contactlists from our phones which they have hacked and they have been texting us very abusing words during collection.
Thank u
Thank you for this reportage. I can reliably inform you that Swift Money is still on Google play Store because they still run ads on some Digital Mining apps. In less than 30 minutes ago, they still run this ads. On Saturday, I still downloaded the Swift cash app. Though I didn’t open it till I read this report. Also, NNMoney & Flypay still run ads on Phoenix Newd. Please verify. Even the existing loap ap still ask permission to access contact, messages, photos on customers phone before granting them loan.
Thank you