'How loan shark threats keep victims like me silent'

'How loan shark threats keep victims like me silent'Just nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleStephanie MiskinandLouise Fewster,BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire InvestigationsWatch the moment loan shark is arrested in police raidA samurai sword, a meat cleaver and babies' passports are among the items seized in raids by illegal money lending investigators - who have given the BBC rare access into how they track down loan sharks.Loan sharks illegally charge crippling interest rates and intimidate those who borrow money from them.England's Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT) relies on public tip-offs to identify suspects, but people have told the BBC they are often frightened to report loan sharks for fear of violent repercussions.David Benbow, who leads the IMLT, has seen first-hand why people are so reluctant to come forward and has even seen a rise in lenders posing as friends or acquaintances - blurring the line between help and exploitation.Sarah, not her real name to protect her safety, became homeless and tried to end her life several times after being threatened by loan sharks.She has only recently finished paying £20,000 of debt repayments after borrowing less than half that amount.'I want it now or you are gonna be hurt'The 28-year-old first got in touch with one loan shark via social media after she was turned down for a credit card. The agreement was, if she borrowed £50, she would repay £100. Though she soon found out that if she was late or missed repayments it would get worse."[I was] feeling under pressure of paying an amount that I couldn't afford," she said.Sarah, from Yorkshire, had no idea what her loan sharks looked like, but they knew everything about her after she sent photos of her utility bills in what she believed was a legitimate registration process, unaware her lender was not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as is legally required."I didn't realise at the time how deep...