Report Business Loan Fraud. Protect the next owner.
If a lender or broker took your money, misused your information or vanished after promising funding, tell us what happened. Your report helps other business owners avoid the same trap.
What Is Business Loan Fraud?
Most business owners who are defrauded were doing something ordinary. They needed capital to cover payroll, buy inventory or replace equipment, they filled out an application, and someone called back with good news. The approval was fast, the terms were better than expected and the representative was friendly and available at any hour. Then came a request for a payment, a login or a signature that had to happen today.
Business loan fraud happens when a company or an individual uses deception to take money, banking access or private information from a business owner who is searching for financing. It reaches every corner of business lending, from traditional commercial lending to alternative financing products such as merchant cash advances, lines of credit and equipment financing.
The harm goes beyond the amount that was taken. Owners often lose weeks they could have spent securing real financing, and the information they handed over can be reused to open accounts or apply for credit in their name. Many never report it because they feel embarrassed, which is exactly what allows the same operation to move on to the next business.
Real fees come out of the loan proceeds or are built into the cost of the financing, and they appear in the written agreement.
Common Business Loan Scams and How They Work
The reports business owners share tend to follow a small number of patterns. Knowing them makes them much easier to recognize.
A legitimate lender or broker does not ask you to send money before you are funded.The one rule to remember
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Advance fee scams
You are approved quickly, then told to pay an insurance, processing, collateral or first payment fee before funds are released. Once you pay, a new fee appears or the contact goes silent.
The tell: A fee before funding -
Lender impersonation
The scammer poses as a real, recognizable lender using a similar domain, a copied logo and forged contracts. The real company has no record of you.
The tell: Lookalike domain or email -
Fake brokers
Someone claims to shop your file to many lenders, collects a broker or success fee early, and never delivers an offer. Some never submit your application anywhere.
The tell: Success fee paid early -
Information harvesting
The application exists only to collect your Social Security number, EIN, bank statements and online banking credentials, which are then sold or used for identity theft.
The tell: Asks for banking logins prior to funding call -
Bait and switch terms
The offer you discussed is replaced at signing with a higher cost, a shorter term or a daily payment you never agreed to, often under pressure to sign within minutes.
The tell: Numbers change at signing -
Unauthorized withdrawals
After you share banking details for verification, debits begin to appear for fees or payments on financing you never received or never accepted.
The tell: Debits you never approved -
Overpayment tricks
A deposit lands in your account, usually from a bad check or a stolen account, and you are asked to send part of it back. The deposit reverses and your money is gone.
The tell: Asked to send money back -
Fake debt relief
A company promises to settle your existing advances, tells you to stop paying your funders and to pay them instead, then does nothing while you default.
The tell: Told to stop paying funders
Warning Signs of a Fraudulent Lender or Broker
No single sign proves a company is fraudulent, but each one is a reason to stop and verify before you send documents, sign anything or move money.
Payment before funding
Any request to send money first, especially by wire, gift card, cryptocurrency, cashier's check or a payment app.
Guaranteed approval
A promise of approval before anyone has reviewed your revenue, bank statements or time in business.
Pressure to act now
Offers that expire within the hour, or a representative who discourages you from showing the contract to anyone.
Mismatched contact details
Free email accounts, a domain slightly different from the real company, or a phone number that is not on the official website.
Requests for banking logins prior to funding call
Being asked for your online banking username and password by email, text or phone prior to a funding call, instead of through a secure verification service.
Vague or missing paperwork
No written agreement, blank fields in the contract, or fees that are explained verbally but never appear in writing.
No verifiable footprint
No state registration, no physical address, no named staff, and a website that was created very recently.
Unsolicited approvals
A call, text or email congratulating you on an approval for financing you never applied for.
| Compare | Legitimate lender | Likely scam |
|---|---|---|
| Fees | Deducted from the proceeds at funding and listed in the contract. | Requested up front by wire, gift card, cryptocurrency or payment app. |
| Approval | Based on a review of revenue, bank statements and time in business. | Guaranteed before anyone looks at your business. |
| Timing | Gives you time to read the agreement and compare other offers. | Insists the offer expires today and discourages outside advice. |
| Identity | Registered business, matching domain and email, a real address and named staff. | Free email account, a lookalike domain and no verifiable footprint. |
| Documents | Collected through a secure portal or a bank verification service. | Asks for your online banking password by phone, text or email prior to a funding call. |
| Contract | Every number you were quoted appears in writing before you sign. | Terms change at signing or key promises are only verbal. |
How to Avoid Business Loan Scams
Four habits stop most lending scams before they start.
Verify who you are dealing with
Search the exact legal name with the Secretary of State where the company says it is based, and check whether your state requires a license for commercial lending or loan brokering. Compare the website domain with the email address that contacted you, letter by letter. If the offer claims to come from a lender you recognize, call the number on that lender's official website and ask whether the offer is real. Our guide to what lenders actually look for explains how a genuine review works.
Never pay to receive a loan
Legitimate origination and broker fees are deducted from the proceeds at funding or included in the cost of the financing, and they are written into the agreement you sign. A request for money up front is reason enough to walk away.
Read the full agreement
Confirm the funding amount, the total payback, the payment amount and frequency, every fee, and what happens if you pay early or fall behind. If any number differs from what you were told, stop. A promise that is not in the contract is not part of the deal.
Guard your information and your time
Share bank statements only through a secure portal after you have verified the company, and never give your online banking password to anyone prior to a funding call. Keep copies of every email, text and receipt. A real lender will still be there tomorrow, so compare several top rated lenders before you commit.
What to Do If You Have Been Scammed
Some transfers can only be reversed within a short window, so every hour counts.
- Call your bank firstAsk to dispute the transaction, recall any wire and block further debits from the company. If you shared login details, change your credentials or ask about opening a new account.
- Report it to the authoritiesFile with the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov, and with your state Attorney General.
- Protect your identityIf you shared your Social Security number, place a fraud alert or a freeze with the credit bureaus and review your credit reports.
- Save everythingKeep emails, texts, agreements, receipts, screenshots and phone numbers. Do not delete the conversation, even if it is upsetting to look at.
- Tell usSubmit a report below so we can review the company and warn other business owners.
Report a Fraudulent Company
Tell us about the broker or lender you believe acted fraudulently. The more detail you share, the faster we can verify it.
- 1You submit the reportFields marked with * are required.
- 2We verify itOur team reviews the details and documents, and may email you with questions.
- 3Verified companies are listedConfirmed cases are added to the Fraudulent Companies section on this page.
Thank you. Your report has been received.
Our team will review the details and any documents you sent. We may contact you by email if we need more information. If the report is verified, the company will be added to the list on this page.
If you lost money, contact your bank right away and file a report with the FTC and your state Attorney General.
Reported Fraudulent Lenders and Brokers
These companies were reported by business owners and verified by our team, using the same care we apply when we vet lenders. We recommend that you do not share information with or send money to any company on this list.
How a Company Is Added to This List
Every entry starts with a report from a business owner who dealt with the lender or broker directly. Our team reads the report, reviews the supporting documents and may contact the owner for more detail before anything is published.
A company is listed only when the evidence supports the report. We show the company name, its logo when available and its website, and we never publish the identity of the person who reported it. If you are checking a funding offer, search this list first, then compare it against the approved lenders we have already vetted.
Listings reflect reports submitted by business owners and our own review of the evidence provided. Scammers often imitate the names of legitimate businesses, so a listing refers only to the name and website shown. If you believe a listing is inaccurate, contact us and we will review it.
Business Loan Fraud FAQ
What counts as business loan fraud?
Business loan fraud is any situation where a company or individual uses deception to take money, banking access or sensitive information from a business owner who is looking for financing. Common examples include charging a fee for a loan that never arrives, pretending to represent a real lender, changing the terms after you sign, and withdrawing money from your account without permission.
Is it normal for a lender or broker to ask for money before funding?
No. Legitimate business lending companies take their fees out of the loan proceeds at funding or build them into the cost of the financing, and those fees appear in the contract. A request to send a wire, gift card, cryptocurrency or payment app transfer before you receive funds is the clearest sign of an advance fee scam.
How can I check that a lender or broker is real?
Search the exact business name with your Secretary of State, confirm that the website domain and email domain match the company, call the phone number published on the official website instead of the one in the message you received, and look for a physical address and independent reviews. Where your state requires a commercial lending or broker license, confirm the license with the state regulator.
What happens after I submit a report?
Our team reviews every submission and the documents attached to it. We may contact you at the email you provide if we need more detail. If we are able to verify the report, the company is added to the Fraudulent Companies section on this page. Reports we cannot verify are not published.
Will my name or my documents be made public?
No. Only the company name, its logo when available and its website appear in the public list. Your identity, your contact details, your description of the incident and your documents are used for verification only.
Will you tell the company that I reported them?
No. We do not forward your report or share your identity with the company you are reporting. If we need more information to verify what happened, we contact you and nobody else.
Can BLIQ recover the money I lost?
No. BLIQ is a comparison platform that connects businesses with third party lenders. We are not a law enforcement agency or a law firm and we cannot recover funds. Contact your bank immediately, then file reports with the Federal Trade Commission, the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center and your state Attorney General. An attorney can advise you on recovery options.
What documents should I upload?
Anything that shows what happened. Useful items include contracts and offer letters, emails and text messages, invoices or fee requests, wire or payment receipts, bank statements showing unauthorized withdrawals and screenshots of the website or advertisement. Please black out full account numbers and Social Security numbers before uploading.
Does a guaranteed approval offer mean the company is fraudulent?
It is a strong warning sign. Real commercial lending and alternative financing providers review revenue, bank statements and time in business before making an offer. Nobody can honestly guarantee approval before looking at your business, so treat that promise with caution and verify the company before sharing any documents.
A company appears on this list by mistake. What can be done?
A listed company or anyone with relevant information can reach us through the contact page to request a review. We will look at any documentation provided and remove or correct a listing when the evidence supports it.
Looking for a lender you can trust?
Compare verified business lending options side by side before you share a single document.