Talkback Winter 2009 - Corby Borough Council

10/11
A regional task force is still turning up the heat
on loan sharks who are causing misery for people
who turn to them for help. In December 2007 the
Government backed Trading Standards Illegal Money
Lending Unit was formed in Nottingham to cover
the East Midlands - including Corby.
www.corby.gov.uk
The unit concentrates on helping people gain access to affordable
credit, provides support to victims of loan sharks and secures
convictions against illegal lenders.
Steve Ward, spokesman for the unit, said: “Using loan sharks can ruin
people’s lives and that is why the East Midlands Illegal Money Lending
Unit is so important. We not only tackle the illegal money lenders, we
also support the victims by referring them to legal forms of credit. In
the case of loan sharks, there will often be individuals on estates who
are known as someone who could lend money if you need it, but there
are also doorstop legal lenders, who also offer very high interest rates,
and we want people to know that they have other options.”
Although there are no figures for the problem of loan sharking in
Corby, about 10,000 households in the East Midlands fall prey to loan
sharks each year.
Anyone affected by illegal money lending can call the Illegal Money
Lending Unit helpline on 01604 6511099 or 0115 8510351 or find further
information at www.direct.gov.uk/stoploansharks