MICI warns about false financiers who request deposits or money transfers prior to loans
The Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI) issued a statement on Thursday in which it warns citizens about false financials that are requesting deposits or money transfers prior to loans, taking advantage of the needs of unwary Panamanians who require financial assistance in times of pandemic.
Sanya Salcedo, General Director of Financial Companies, indicated that this practice is illegal and explained that they have managed to identify that the missing entities are using names very similar to those of authorized financial companies, among which he mentioned: FinanCredit, SUFINANCIERA or Credits Su Financiera, CorpFinanciera Central Panamá and Corpfinanzas del País.
We have identified these four "financial service companies", but we understand that criminal activity has no limits and there may be others of its kind, so we urge citizens to report to the competent authorities those practices that they suspect are not protected by law, such as request the delivery of money in exchange for a loan instead of crediting it to the contract, or not providing an office address, Salcedo stressed.
He explained that these alleged companies use as a modus operandi, the placement of ads through social networks and the Internet.
Faced with this, the official calls on the clients of the financial companies to inform themselves before entering into contractual relationships with the companies that offer this type of services, through the website www.mici.gob.pa., or by calling 560-0725 or 560-0722.
He added that the General Directorate of Financial Companies of the MICI, in accordance with the provisions of Law No. 42 of July 23, 2001, modified by Law No. 33 of June 26, 2002 and regulated by Executive Decree No. 213 of October 26, 2010; It is the body that regulates this sector and has a list of legally constituted and authorized companies.
We have identified these four "financial service companies", but we understand that criminal activity has no limits and there may be others of its kind, so we urge citizens to report to the competent authorities those practices that they suspect are not protected by law, such as request the delivery of money in exchange for a loan instead of crediting it to the contract, or not providing an office address, Salcedo stressed.
He explained that these alleged companies use as a modus operandi, the placement of ads through social networks and the Internet.
Faced with this, the official calls on the clients of the financial companies to inform themselves before entering into contractual relationships with the companies that offer this type of services, through the website www.mici.gob.pa., or by calling 560-0725 or 560-0722.
He added that the General Directorate of Financial Companies of the MICI, in accordance with the provisions of Law No. 42 of July 23, 2001, modified by Law No. 33 of June 26, 2002 and regulated by Executive Decree No. 213 of October 26, 2010; It is the body that regulates this sector and has a list of legally constituted and authorized companies.