The Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market of the Republic of Kazakhstan has published consumer guidance on how to detect whether a loan has been taken out in a person’s name and what to do if a fraudulent loan is found. The guidance tells consumers to monitor their credit history regularly, including checking it once each quarter, and sets out the immediate steps to take with lenders and law enforcement. Credit history reports can be obtained from the State Credit Bureau, the First Credit Bureau, public service centers or the egov.kz portal. If a fraudulent loan is suspected, the consumer should immediately contact the bank or microfinance organization, request that cards, accounts and access to the mobile application be blocked, ensure that the written application is registered, and preserve all available evidence such as call records, messages, confirmation codes, account statements and recipient details. A police complaint should then be filed through eGov, the e-Otinish portal or the local police authority. Once the consumer receives a victim recognition order or other police procedural document showing the loan amount, date and lender, the creditor must suspend debt collection and claims activity within three calendar days. If the loan has been assigned to collectors, they should also be notified. Inaction by a creditor or collection agency can be reported to the agency through e-Otinish. The guidance also states that the existence of fraud does not automatically result in a debt write-off. Write-off is only possible where both fraud and violations by the creditor in the lending process are established. Depending on the circumstances, this may be handled out of court where clear violations exist or otherwise through court proceedings.

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