Important Notice: Protect Yourself from Scammers Posing as Premier Finance

We want to bring to your attention the unauthorized use of Premier Finance’s name for loan scams. We are taking action to address this issue, but it will take time to resolve. In the meantime, we have prepared this article to provide you with details of the criminals’ modus operandi so that you can safeguard yourself.

Please read the information carefully and report any instances of targeting to us. Your information will help us protect others from falling victim to these scams.

The scammers are following the exact business model that we warn about in our guide to avoid loan scams https://premierfinance.co.za/your-guide-to-avoid-loan-scams/ . They approach individuals for loans, offering unbelievably low interest rates of 4% to grab attention. This should raise a red flag immediately. No NCR registered lender would charge such low rates as it is below the prime lending rate and makes no business sense. They would essentially be giving away money without any return. Remember, no legitimate business works for free. When you come across such an offer, it’s crucial to walk away and recognize it as a scam.

When victims express interest, they are given an application form to complete. They request bank statements and copy of id but no proof of income. This is another red flag. How can they verify employment which is a critical process? The truth is that there is no employment verification because there is no intention of providing a loan. These scammers are solely in business to collect upfront administration fees. Here is an example of documentation that they supply individuals.

Once victims return the completed application, they receive a letter indicating their approval. However, the letter also requests an upfront administration fee. The scammers claim it is for attorney fees to draw up a contract. Here’s an important fact: legitimate NCR registered loan lenders never charge fees. It is against the National Credit Act and is illegal to do so. If the previous red flags didn’t trigger your scam radar, this one should. ALWAYS AVOID UPFRONT FEES! The upfront fee serves as the scammers’ payment for the non-existent loan. It is their reward for deceiving you with their lies. To protect your finances, do not pay the fee and walk away. Remember, there is no loan, so there is no legitimate reason to pay this fee. Paying it will only guarantee a financial loss.

Now, let’s delve into the details to provide you with further information to look out for.

Email Address

Premier Finance’s legitimate email address is connect@premierfinance.co.za. This email address is directly linked to our official domain, www.premierfinance.co.za. We have sole access to create email addresses associated with this domain. The loan scammers have used an email address, connectpremierfinance.co.za@consultant.com. This email address is linked to the domain consultant.com, which has no affiliation with Premier Finance. It leads back to an international company.

Contact Number

The scammers use the landline number 021 780 1064. Please note that this number does not exist. They have manipulated our number to appear legitimate, but our correct landline number is 021 780 1046.

WhatsApp Number

The WhatsApp number being used by this scammer is 069 461 2291. Unfortunately, they have included the Premier Finance logo, which they stole from us. This number has the name Erwin Crause (probably fake). He/she is not associated with Premier Finance in any way. The correct Premier Finance WhatsApp line number is 063 417 0887.

Address

The scammers are using our old address, which is 11 Hilltop Street. Our correct address is Cockburn Close, Simons Town.

Facebook page

This is the fake Premier Finance Facebook page that you should avoid: https://www.facebook.com/premierfinance.co.za

Here is also a Facebook profile of a person sharing the fake Premier Finance information: https://www.facebook.com/qiqa.mapeyi.7

They also using Facebook groups like this one to catch their victims:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/722969621732993/

Premier Finance Correct Facebook information

Our Facebook page address is https://www.facebook.com/premierfinanceza and our group www.facebook.com/groups/premierfinance/

To ensure that you are dealing with the authentic and legitimate Premier Finance:

Application Process:

We only accept online application forms completed on our website. We do not send out application forms like the one mentioned above. You will always be directed to apply on our website: https://premierfinance.co.za/personal-loans/

Free Applications:

Premier Finance offers a free service for applying for a personal loan. We do not charge fees, as it goes against the National Credit Act. Only NCR registered members can offer loans, as they adhere to the lending principles outlined in the National Credit Act.

Email Communication:

We only communicate with you through emails linked to our domain, www.premierfinance.co.za. Our emails usually come from connect@premierfinance.co.za or feedback@premierfinance.co.za. Please be cautious of any communication using the Premier Finance name linked to Gmail or any other domain, as it is not us.

If you have been in contact with the loan scammers or have been approached by other companies using the Premier Finance name, please report the incidents to us. You can contact the director, Judy Hayes, directly at judy@premierfinance.co.za to provide details.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. It’s important to also note that besides losing the upfront payment, you are also opening up yourself to other risks by supplying such people with your sensitive information. If you send them a copy of your id, bank statements, bank account details and other sensitive information, you are at risk of them using your information for other purposes. We don’t know what other scams they are involved in so it’s always best to not enter into any correspondence with such people.

That is why applying online with reputable organizations is the best way to protect yourself and your sensitive information.

If you need assistance with a loan, please use our free service.