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- Make a loan yourself: in the Russian Federation, it has become three times more common to complain about problems with repayment of loans
Make a loan yourself: in the Russian Federation, it has become three times more common to complain about problems with repayment of loans
The number of complaints about problems with repayment of microloans has more than tripled over the year — 3.5 thousand complaints were received in the first six months of 2026, the Central Bank told Izvestia. People are increasingly disputing the amount of debt and accrued interest, as well as complaining about difficulties in obtaining loan documents. The Bank of Russia and market participants attribute this to the activities of the so-called borrowers. Another problem in the regulator was the activation of cybercriminals. What violations occur most often can be found in the Izvestia article.
Why are complaints about MFIs on the rise
In the first half of 2026, Russians complained to the Central Bank about problems with repayment of microloans 3.5 thousand times, according to the data of the Bank of Russia. This is 3.1 times higher than in January–June 2025.
The trend was confirmed to Izvestia by the Financial Commissioner's Office. Finombudsman was most often contacted because of refusals to refund commissions and fees for additional services, as well as because of their cost - more than 1.6 thousand such complaints were received in the first half of 2026.
At the same time, in 62% of cases, the finombudsman refused borrowers. This is partly due to the fact that MFIs voluntarily comply with clients' requirements after they receive an appeal to the commissioner, but before they make a decision.
The increase in complaints against MFIs is largely related to the activities of borrowers — companies and private consultants who promise borrowers to write off debts or save property from foreclosure, the press service of the Central Bank and the SRO MIR told Izvestia.
Such intermediaries often submit to the regulatory authorities a large number of standard requests on behalf of clients. As a result, the number of complaints is growing, although the Bank of Russia does not always detect violations by financial organizations during the audit, the regulator's press service noted.
Borrowers can use complaints as a way to show the client the visibility of their work and put administrative pressure on MFIs, according to the MIR SRO.
However, the increase in requests is not only related to the work of such intermediaries. Borrowers really face situations when they cannot repay a microloan on time, and then argue with MFIs over the amount of debt, interest and additional charges, said Ekaterina Kazak, CEO of Cyberbird Fintech Group.
The reason for delinquency is often a combination of a high debt burden and a lack of financial reserves. Unforeseen expenses, a decrease or delay in income, and existing obligations can quickly make the next payment unaffordable, the expert added.
An additional factor remains the complexity of the terms of the contract. A person may not pay attention to commissions, fines, penalties and paid subscriptions, but when applying for a loan online, agree with them with one tick, Ekaterina Kosareva, managing partner of the VMT Consult agency, summed up.
What problems do borrowers have?
One of the most common reasons for appeals are questions about the amount of debt and accrued interest. After the loan goes into arrears, the small initial amount may increase significantly, Ekaterina Kazak explained.
Another problem that clients face is getting documents. MFOs do not always promptly provide information on the status of debt, contract closure or payment schedule, Ekaterina Kosareva added.
Some customers also complain about additional services that increase the cost of the loan. The number of complaints about difficulties in refunding money for such products increased 1.6 times over the year to 3,000 in the first six months of 2026, the Bank of Russia reported.
After the introduction of restrictions on the amount of interest income of MFIs, companies can look for other sources of profit, including through commissions and additional products, says economist Andrei Barkhota. Starting from April 1, 2023, the rate should not exceed 0.8% per day. And starting from April 1 of this year, the maximum overpayment, including all penalties and fines, cannot exceed the loan amount. That is, if a person has borrowed 10 thousand rubles, the maximum that a creditor can demand is 20 thousand rubles.
Such "sources of profit" can be completely different. In addition to standard telemedicine and insurance, MFOs also impose more controversial products on people, from horoscopes to Tarot card layouts.
Claims usually arise when a debt is repaid or overdue, when the borrower discovers additional payments in the contract. The problem often arises if a person has not carefully studied the terms and conditions before signing, Ekaterina Kosareva explained.
However, the fight against unscrupulous practices is already underway. Starting from July 1, MFIs must inform the client in detail about additional services at all stages of their provision and cannot give consent in advance to receive them, the Bank of Russia reported.
A separate block of complaints is related to cyberbullying. In the first half of the year, the number of applications for loans issued without the knowledge of citizens increased by 60% to 3.2 thousand, the press service of the regulator noted.
In such cases, fraudsters gain access to a person's data, apply for a loan for him and take the money, after which the debt is credited to the victim. At the same time, in the second quarter, the number of such requests decreased by about 17% compared to the first, including after the supervisory work of the regulator with one of the MFIs, the Central Bank emphasized.
What should a borrower do in a dispute with an MFI?
If financial problems arise, the borrower should first contact the MFI on their own and try to negotiate a change in repayment terms. The creditor can offer restructuring or other debt settlement options, and an early appeal leaves more opportunities for such a solution, Ekaterina Kazak noted.
If a person does not agree with the amount of obligations, it is necessary to request a detailed calculation. It should specify separately the principal debt, interest, penalties and other charges, after which they can be compared with the contract and the payments already made, the expert added.
At the same time, it is important to keep the documents and carefully check the terms, especially the points about additional services and commissions. In the event of a dispute, the borrower should also maintain communication with the lender: failure to communicate can only complicate the situation and lead to legal action, the MIR SRO emphasized.
The main way to reduce risks is to refuse a new loan to repay the old one and close the existing debt as quickly as possible, Andrei Barkhota believes. The longer a person stays in the microloan chain, the more likely it is that interest, penalties, and additional costs will turn a small initial debt into a serious financial problem.
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