Advance-fee loans
You are “approved”, but must first pay an admin, legal or insurance fee. Once you pay, the lender disappears. A real lender takes fees from the loan agreement, not upfront.
Stay safe from loan scams
Scammers copy the names and logos of real lenders. A few checks take a minute and can save you a lot of money.
Our only official channels
- randleaf.co.za for this information website
- RandLeaf’s own application service: not open yet
- Partner links: every Apply online button first opens randleaf.co.za/go/oferta and then the partner’s own website, which is not ours
- Phone: not yet published
- Email: not yet published. Our official addresses will all end in the same domain.
- WhatsApp: only if a verified number is confirmed
Anything else is not us
If a message, profile or website uses our name but isn’t on this list, treat it as a scam until you have checked it with us through the channels above.
What RandLeaf will never do
- Ask you to pay a fee, deposit or “insurance” upfront before a loan is paid out
- Ask for your banking PIN, password, card CVV or a one-time PIN (OTP)
- Ask you to pay money into a personal bank account or buy vouchers or airtime
- Promise a loan without checking your credit record, or promise approval before you apply
- Pressure you with a deadline that expires in minutes
Common scams in South Africa
People looking for a loan are often short of money and short of time, which is exactly what scammers count on. Almost every loan scam ends the same way: you pay something before you receive anything. Spot that, and most of the tricks below fall apart.
Fake WhatsApp profiles
A profile uses a real lender’s logo and name. Check the number against the official list on this page before replying.
Fake debt collectors
Someone claims you owe money on a loan you never took. Ask for written details and check them with the lender directly.
Cloned websites
A copy of a real site on a slightly different address. Look carefully at the address bar before you enter anything.
How to check a message that says it’s from us
Look at the sender
Compare the number, email domain or website address with our official list above, character by character.
Don’t use the links in it
Type randleaf.co.za into your browser yourself instead of tapping a link in the message.
Ask us directly
Contact us through our contact page and ask whether the message is real.
Landing on a partner page
Our Apply online buttons are paid partner links. They pass through randleaf.co.za/go/oferta and then open a partner’s website, which RandLeaf doesn’t run. Check it the way you would check any lender.
Read the address bar
Make sure you are on a secure (https) address and that it is the site you expected, not a look-alike. Don’t continue from a link someone sent you in a message.
Find the credit provider
The page, quote or agreement must name the company that lends and its NCRCP number. Look it up on the National Credit Regulator register. How to check the register.
Never pay upfront
A real credit provider doesn’t ask for an admin, legal or insurance fee before paying out. Stop if you are asked to pay anything to “release” a loan.
Keep PINs and OTPs to yourself
Never type or read out a banking PIN, password or one-time PIN for anyone. Approving a DebiCheck mandate happens in your own banking app.
Related pages
Spot a fake loan message
The signs of a loan scam and a six-point check before you reply.
Registration
Our NCR registration details and how to check them on the official register.
Contact
Phone, email and WhatsApp, support hours, and what to have ready.