Stop Loan Sharks has launched a WhatsApp service for people in England to report illegal lending and get support.
The service was set up to give people an easy and discreet way to alert the team to loan shark activity or get advice if they have been targeted.
The service runs Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
It joins the team’s confidential helpline, email address, website form, and Live Chat.
Dave Benbow, head of the Stop Loan Sharks, said: “We want to make it as easy as possible for people to get in touch with us to report a loan shark and to access our specialist advice and support.
“We realise it can be difficult for some people to make that first step and to admit that they have borrowed from a loan shark.
“We hope this service helps make taking that initial step a little easier.”
Benbow added: “Many people will already be familiar with WhatsApp and feel comfortable using it – they can send pictures, stop a conversation at any time, but then go back to it at their convenience – it has a lot of advantages.
“However people choose to get in touch with us, every call or message is treated in complete confidence, and we are here to help, not to judge.”
