A genuine loan between individuals has three features: an identifiable, reachable lender, no fees requested before payout, and a written contract declared to the tax office above 5,000 €; any offer missing even one of these points should be rejected.
What genuine means in legal terms
In France, lending occasionally to someone close is free, but granting loans for interest on a regular basis falls under the banking monopoly set by the Monetary and Financial Code. A private lender financing dozens of strangers is therefore acting illegally.
The typical profile of an authentic private lender
A real lender between individuals is almost always a relative, a friend, an employer or an acquaintance. They hold savings in France, sign under their real name and accept a meeting or video call before transferring the money.
Searching REGAFI for credit institutions
If the contact presents itself as a finance company or credit institution, its name must appear on the REGAFI register, run under the authority of the Banque de France and the ACPR, the banking supervisor. No listing is reason enough to refuse.
ORIAS for credit intermediaries
A broker or banking intermediary must be registered with ORIAS, the French register of intermediaries, which can be searched free of charge. Fraudsters sometimes reuse a real professional's number, so compare the official contact details with those of the person you are dealing with.
Platforms licensed by the AMF
Peer-to-peer lending platforms must hold the European crowdfunding service provider licence issued by the AMF, the French markets regulator. Our comparison of peer-to-peer lending websites explains how to read these licences and which operations they actually cover.
AMF and ACPR blacklists
The AMF and the ACPR regularly publish lists of websites and entities offering credit or investments without authorisation. Cross-checking the lender's name, website and address against these lists and our list of fake private lenders takes only a few minutes.
A clear contract that complies with French law
A genuine loan rests on a contract or IOU written in plain French, stating amount, term, rate and schedule. Written proof is mandatory above 1,500 € under article 1359 of the Civil Code, and the rate must stay below the usury ceiling.
No payment before the funds arrive
Processing fees, insurance, registration tax, notary charges: any sum demanded before release, especially by prepaid voucher, money order or cryptocurrency, signals fraud. An honest lender may deduct any fees from the capital paid out, always by bank transfer.
Form 2062 as a sign of good faith
A reliable lender agrees that the loan be declared on formulaire 2062 (French tax form for declaring loans) when it exceeds 5,000 €. Anyone refusing any tax trail or offering undocumented cash is often trying to hide where the money comes from.
A five-minute verification method
Reverse image search of the profile photo, phone number check, scrutiny of the bank details offered and reading reviews: our guide to checking a reliable private lender details each check, with examples drawn from real reports.
Fake guarantees of trustworthiness
Banque de France logos, forged approval certificates, court stamps and scanned professional cards can be produced in minutes. Public institutions never issue a loan certificate to an individual and never vouch for any lender.
Reporting and getting support
A dubious offer can be reported on PHAROS and Signal Conso, then a complaint filed at a police station or online depending on the case. Our page on how to report a private loan scam sums up the steps and evidence to keep.
Checking a lender before committing
- Obtain the lender's full name, address and ID, then arrange a meeting or video call.
- Check any company name on REGAFI, ORIAS or the AMF list of licensed platforms, and against the blacklists.
- Refuse any request for fees, insurance or tax payable before the funds are released.
- Sign a contract or IOU in French, with a rate below the usury ceiling and a precise schedule.
- Receive the money by transfer from a bank account in the lender's name and declare the loan on form 2062 above 5,000 €.
- Repay by traceable transfers and ask for a receipt once the debt is fully settled.
Cost benchmarks for a trustworthy loan
| Item | What is normal | What should alarm you |
|---|---|---|
| Interest rate | Freely agreed, below the usury rate | Very low rate promised to everyone without review |
| Processing fees | None between individuals | Advance demanded by voucher or crypto |
| Licensed platform | Commission stated in the contract (indicative) | Fees requested outside the platform |
| Notarial deed | Regulated fees paid to the notary's office (indicative) | Notary unreachable via the departmental chamber |
| Taxation | Interest declared by the lender | Refusal of any form 2062 filing |
What a genuine loan should produce
- ID of lender and borrower
- Signed loan contract or IOU
- Bank details in the lender's real name
- Borrower's proof of income
- Form 2062 above 5,000 €
- Proof of the funds transfer
- Repayment schedule
Signs that a lender is not genuine
- A lender who communicates only via WhatsApp or Telegram, refuses any video call and claims to live permanently abroad.
- The same rate offered to everyone, payout guaranteed within 24 hours whatever the file, even for people listed at the Banque de France.
- Repayment bank details in a third party's name, or a foreign IBAN from a country other than the one the lender claims.
- Documents bearing AMF, Banque de France or court logos to certify the loan.
- Mounting pressure after a first payment, with new fees presented as the very last step.
Your questions about a trustworthy private lender
Is there an official list of genuine private lenders?
No. No authority approves individuals who lend occasionally. Official registers cover banks, finance companies, intermediaries and platforms. A website claiming to publish state-certified lenders is therefore misleading and should not be trusted.
Can a genuine lender ask for notary fees?
If a notarial deed is really chosen, the fees are paid directly to the office, identifiable through the chamber of notaries, and never by voucher or cryptocurrency. A simple private IOU requires no notary at all.
How can I check a peer-to-peer lending platform?
Look up its exact name in the AMF list of licensed crowdfunding service providers and make sure it does not appear on a blacklist. Also check that the website's contact details match those in the official register.
Can a genuine peer-to-peer loan be fast?
Yes, when the lender is someone close, funds can arrive within one or two days by transfer. Speed becomes suspicious when a stranger promises it, without a prior contract and subject to payment of fees.