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If someone has taken out a loan in your name in Kazakhstan, contact both the lender and the police without delay. Filing a fraud report does not automatically stop debt collection: the lender needs a formal law enforcement document identifying the disputed loan. Start by obtaining a credit report and saving evidence.
Lawyer Azamat Bekkulov explained the steps in an interview with Informburo.kz. Separate guidance from Kazakhstan’s Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market confirms the documents needed and the three-calendar-day deadline for lenders to suspend collection and interest and penalty accrual.
How to check for a loan you did not take out
You can obtain a personal credit report through the State Credit Bureau, the First Credit Bureau and the eGov service. According to Bekkulov, checks on the State Credit Bureau website are free. The First Credit Bureau provides a full report free of charge once per calendar year.
A separate service on eGov may carry a fee, so check the terms before ordering. The key details in the report are the lender’s name, the agreement number and date, the outstanding balance, any overdue payments and the status of the obligation. Checking your banking app alone is not enough, because an unfamiliar loan may have been issued by another lender.
An unfamiliar name does not necessarily mean fraud: the organisation may have changed its name, or the debt may have been transferred to another lender. First, cross-check the agreement details. Save the report containing the suspicious entry along with the date you obtained it.
Who to contact if you discover a loan you did not take out
Notify the bank or microfinance organisation (MFO) and file a police report at the same time. According to Bekkulov, the lender’s internal review may take up to a month. You do not need to wait for it to finish before contacting the police.
After calling the lender, submit a written complaint identifying the agreement, the date you discovered it and your reasons for disputing it. If someone else has gained access to your banking app, immediately block the compromised access and secure your accounts. You should also ask the lender for the loan application and agreement documents and request that it preserve identification, login and transaction records.
In your police report, include the loan date, amount and the name of the bank or MFO, as specified in the financial regulator’s guidance. Obtain confirmation that the police have registered your report and ask about formal recognition as a victim. Useful supporting evidence includes your credit report, account statements, correspondence, callers’ phone numbers and recordings of conversations. Describe the circumstances accurately: a loan taken out without your consent and one taken out because you were deceived require different evidence.
How to prove someone else took out the loan
Bekkulov explained that the investigation needs to establish who submitted the application, confirmed the agreement and received the money. For a paper agreement, the signature is examined, with a forensic handwriting examination carried out if necessary. For an online loan, biometric data, the device used, the IP address, login times and any change of phone number are important.
The money trail also matters: which account received the funds, where they went next and who withdrew them. The fact that the loan was credited to an account does not, by itself, establish who controlled that account.
According to Bekkulov, victims are not required to conduct their own investigation or obtain bank records they cannot access. Investigators and courts can request those records.
When the bank must suspend debt collection
The financial regulator’s official guidance identifies two relevant documents: a formal decision recognising the borrower as a victim under Article 71 of the Criminal Procedure Code, or a submission from law enforcement under Article 200 requiring measures to address circumstances that contributed to the offence. According to Bekkulov, the document must identify the specific disputed loan.
Within three calendar days of receiving the document, the bank or MFO must suspend debt collection, its claims and litigation activity, and the accrual of interest and penalties. Submit the document with proof of receipt and request written confirmation of the suspension. A call to the lender or confirmation that the police have registered a report is not enough, Bekkulov explained.
If debt collectors are involved, notify them of the dispute and provide the documents as well.
What to do if debt collection has already begun
If the bank has taken the case to court, you need to take part in the proceedings, present evidence and file objections. A fraud investigation does not, by itself, overturn a court judgment or lift an account freeze.
According to Bekkulov, you have ten working days after receiving a copy of a notary’s enforcement writ to object to it. Submit the objection to the notary; if you cannot get the writ revoked, you can pursue the dispute in court. If an enforcement officer has already begun collecting the debt, obtain the enforcement proceedings documents and find out how to challenge and suspend collection.
If the lender misses deadlines or refuses to take the required measures, you can contact the Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market through eOtinish. Attach your complaint to the lender, proof of receipt, its response and the police documents.
What to do first
If you discover a loan you did not take out, save the credit report and immediately submit written complaints to the lender and the police. Obtain the formal document needed to suspend collection and ensure the lender receives it. If you have already received documents from a court or notary, meet the applicable deadlines: filing a fraud report does not automatically cancel those documents or the debt.
