연이자 수천% 불법사금융 645건 채무종결…수사부터 소송까지 대신 챙긴다

A teenager named Kim from G-gun borrowed 35,000 won from an illegal lending firm via Telegram to fund illegal gambling. The loan's repayment deadline was one week later with a repayment of 70,000 won. The interest rate was roughly 5,200%, equivalent to astronomical levels. When Kim failed to pay back, the illegal lending firm began pursuing them aggressively, including distributing photos and loan agreements to Kim's friends.

Upon learning of this, Kim's parents filed a complaint with the 'One-Stop Support for Illegal Lending' program. The Credit Recovery Mediation Agency then demanded the firm to settle the debt, but when this was ignored, the financial investigation agency was notified, resulting in subsequent actions. According to the Financial Committee, 656 people like Kim reported 4,705 illegal debts through the One-Stop Support for Illegal Lending program implemented in March.

The program offers a range of services including halting illegal debt collection, demanding debt settlement, invalidating part-payment contracts, appointing debt negotiators, conducting investigations, and adjusting debts. As a result, 645 cases led to actual debt settlements. The agency issued cancellation orders for 154 part-payment contract invalidation letters and requested police investigations for 895 illegal lending firms.

Additionally, 123 victims received assistance with debt restructuring or policy support for low-income households, employment, and welfare. The Financial Committee also plans to improve the user experience, such as consolidating online reporting into a single platform to avoid redundancies. Police investigations, court proceedings, and post-investigation assistance for victims are all supported by the debt recovery process.

Anyone who has suffered from illegal lending can report it online or by phone, submitting evidence and information via the 'Illegal Lending One-Stop Victim Reporting' on the Financial Committee's website. Victims can also visit one of the 22 regional support centers for personalized assistance or contact the Financial Supervisory Agency, the Policy Support for Low-Income Households, the Employment and Welfare Support Agency, or the Consumer Credit Mediation Agency for further help.