Quick Summary
- Never share an OTP, PIN or password with anyone, ever.
- Genuine lenders do not request upfront payment to release a loan.
- Urgency and pressure are common scam tactics.
- Verify independently through official channels before acting.
Never share your OTP
Digital payments and online loan applications have made borrowing faster and more convenient, but they have also created new opportunities for scammers. Recognising the common warning signs is the best protection available.
Information nobody should request
No legitimate lender or payment provider will ever ask for your OTP, PIN, full card number or password over a call, text or message. Any request for these details is a warning sign on its own.
Common warning signs
Watch for: a request for upfront payment before a loan is released, pressure to act immediately, contact from an unofficial number or account, requests to move a conversation off official channels, promises that sound better than anything else on the market, unsolicited messages claiming you have already been approved, and any request for banking details that a lender would not normally need to ask for directly.
Verify independently
If a message or call claims to be from a lender, contact that lender directly through their official number or website, rather than replying to the original message or using any contact details it provided.
Embarrassment helps the scammer
Scammers rely on victims feeling too embarrassed to report what happened. Reporting a suspected scam quickly, even if money has already been sent, gives the best chance of limiting the damage.
Let’s hear from you
Which scam warning sign do you think more people need to recognise?
Related reading: What a Credit Record Is and Why Repayment Behaviour Matters