Safer borrowing

Recognize misleading offers and protect your information.

25 GUIDES / PAGE 1 OF 3

woman holding laptop displaying a scam alert, highlighting online fraud.

Recognize an advance-fee loan scam

Examine a suspicious loan-fee request, distinguish a guaranteed-funding promise from disclosed charges, and preserve useful evidence before responding.

Read guide ↗

woman intently working on a laptop while relaxing on a cozy sofa.

Safer borrowing

Verify a lender before sharing personal information

Check a lender’s legal name, regulator record and contact details before sending an application or identity documents.

Read guide ↗

Three gold combination padlocks with colorful tags, symbolizing security and travel.

Safer borrowing

A padlock does not prove a loan website is legitimate

Understand what HTTPS protects, what a browser security icon cannot establish, and how to check a loan website separately.

Read guide ↗

A person checking the screen of a smartphone

Safer borrowing

Unexpected loan texts: check without using the link

Handle an unexpected loan text through a verified account or contact number instead of its embedded link.

Read guide ↗

Close-up of a hand holding a 'Buy Our Giftcard' sign on a brown backdrop.

Safer borrowing

Do not send gift cards to unlock loan funds

A request for gift-card numbers to release loan funds is a scam signal. Preserve the card and receipt if you have already paid.

Read guide ↗

A close-up view of a smartphone screen displaying the email inbox, held by an adult's hand.

Safer borrowing

Fake loan approval emails and copied logos

Review unexpected loan approval emails by checking the request, sender and account through a separate verified route.

Read guide ↗

Aerial view of keyboard keys spelling 'SCAM' on a wooden surface, conveying digital deception.

Safer borrowing

Protect your identity when a loan application is exposed

Sort the information exposed in a loan application and build a focused response for identity, account and document risks.

Read guide ↗

A minimalist home office setup featuring a laptop with a blank screen on a dark wooden table.

Safer borrowing

Keep Social Security numbers out of ordinary email

Use a verified secure channel for sensitive loan documents and keep Social Security numbers out of ordinary email threads.

Read guide ↗

Focused shot of a woman holding a credit card, engaging in a phone conversation, depicting online shopping or banking.

Safer borrowing

Recognize a fake debt collector

Check a debt collector’s identity and written debt information before responding to pressure or supplying payment details.

Read guide ↗

Close-up of a professional writing on documents in a busy office environment with laptops on a desk.

Safer borrowing

Read a debt validation notice carefully

Read the creditor, itemized balance and response deadline in a debt validation notice, then organize a precise written response.

Read guide ↗

Worried man with beard reviewing financial paperwork indoors, holding cup.

Safer borrowing

Respond to a debt you do not recognize

Respond to an unfamiliar collection claim with a clear record of what you dispute and the evidence that supports it.

Read guide ↗

Woman sitting at a desk managing finances with a calculator and paper receipts in an office setting.

Safer borrowing

Document a disputed payment with clear evidence

Build a concise evidence packet for a disputed loan payment using dates, transaction references and the lender’s account history.

Read guide ↗