Quick answer

In the Philippines, report unfair collection practices by a lending or financing company to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and misuse of personal information to the National Privacy Commission (NPC). Threats of violence, suspected extortion, impersonation, or other possible crimes should also be reported promptly to law enforcement.

Preserve the evidence, identify the company behind the app, and submit a written complaint to its customer assistance unit and data protection officer. For a formal NPC complaint, you generally must first give the company an opportunity to address the violation; if it does not respond, the relevant period is 15 calendar days from receipt of your written complaint. Exceptions may apply in serious or urgent cases. Securities and Exchange Commission

An overdue loan does not authorize harassment or public shaming. Reporting misconduct, however, does not automatically cancel a valid debt.

What collection conduct can you report?

A lender may send lawful payment reminders, demand payment, and pursue available legal remedies. The way it collects must still comply with the law.

Under SEC Memorandum Circular No. 18, series of 2019, prohibited collection practices include:

Violence or threats against a person, reputation, or property.
Threats to take action that cannot legally be taken.
Abusive obscenities, insults, or profane language.
Publishing borrowers’ names and personal information to shame them.
False or deceptive representations used to collect a debt.
Contacting people in the borrower’s contact list other than named guarantors or co-makers, despite the borrower’s consent.

Collectors must disclose their true identities. Outsourcing collection does not remove the lender’s responsibility for compliance.

Calls at unreasonable hours: the exception matters

The circular generally prohibits contact before 6:00 a.m. or after 10:00 p.m., but makes exceptions when the account is more than 15 days past due, or the borrower expressly agrees that those hours are the only reasonable or convenient opportunities for contact.

Those exceptions concern the timing restriction. They do not permit threats, deception, or public shaming. Record both the contact times and the loan’s due date.

Privacy violations are a separate issue

The Data Privacy Act of 2012 requires lawful processing and compliance with transparency, legitimate purpose, and proportionality. Consent is not the only possible legal basis for processing, but a lender cannot use a broad app permission as unlimited authority to misuse information. Supreme Court E-Library

Under the NPC’s amended loan-data rules:

App permissions must be necessary and proportionate.
A borrower’s photograph must not be used to harass or embarrass them.
Unconstrained or excessive processing of contact lists is prohibited.
Limited contact-list processing may be allowed for specified legitimate purposes; accessing contacts is not automatically unlawful in every situation.
A character reference is not automatically a guarantor. A guarantor’s separate consent must be obtained.

Using contacts to pressure unrelated people into paying is different from properly verifying a borrower’s chosen character reference. See NPC Circular No. 2022-02 and the agency’s explanation. privacy.gov.ph

Step 1: Preserve evidence before blocking or uninstalling

Build an evidence folder while the information is still accessible:

Messages: Complete SMS, email, and chat conversations showing sender details, dates, times, and context.
Calls: Call logs, numbers, voicemails already received, and notes of what was said.
Public posts: Screenshots, direct links, account names, timestamps, and the surrounding conversation.
Messages to other people: Ask affected relatives, friends, or colleagues to preserve the originals and describe what they received.
Loan documents: Agreement, disclosure statement, repayment schedule, disbursement record, account statements, and receipts.
App information: App name, store listing, developer, privacy notice, company details, and permission settings.
Complaint correspondence: Your written notice, proof of receipt, ticket numbers, and replies.

Keep original files and unedited copies. Do not rely solely on cropped screenshots that omit who sent the message or when it arrived. A screenshot of a threat should be accompanied, where possible, by evidence linking the sender to the lender or collection agency.

Write a short chronology: when you borrowed, when payment became due, what happened, who received information, and what you did afterward. Clearly separate what you personally witnessed from what someone else reported.

After preserving evidence, revoke unnecessary permissions and block abusive accounts if needed. Uninstalling the app may stop further access from that installation, but it does not establish that previously collected information has been erased.

Step 2: Identify the lender behind the app

The app’s brand may differ from the company’s registered name. Check the agreement, disclosure statement, privacy notice, receipts, and official company contact information.

Verify the company’s Certificate of Authority to operate as a lending or financing company, not merely its corporate registration. Also check whether the app actually belongs to that company: the SEC has issued advisories about unauthorized platforms using legitimate companies’ names and credentials. Securities and Exchange Commission

Identify the collection agency separately, if known. Preserve messages naming the creditor, loan account, collector, and payment destination.

If the operator remains unknown, provide all available identifying details and explain your attempts to identify it. Do not guess a company name merely because it resembles the app’s branding.

Step 3: Complain to the company in writing

Send your complaint through verified company channels, addressing both its customer assistance unit and data protection officer where appropriate.

Include:

Your account or transaction reference.
A concise description of each incident, with dates and supporting evidence.
The information disclosed or misused and the people contacted.
The action you want: investigation, cessation of abusive collection, removal of unlawful posts, correction of false information, or cessation of unauthorized processing.
A request for a written response and preservation of relevant collection and data-processing records.

Keep proof of delivery or receipt. Use only the personal information reasonably needed to identify your account.

You may also request information about what personal data the company holds, its sources, purposes, and recipients. Explain any request for correction, blocking, or erasure. These rights do not necessarily require deletion of records the company still lawfully needs to retain. Supreme Court E-Library

Financial service providers must maintain a consumer assistance mechanism, and dissatisfied consumers may escalate to the regulator with jurisdiction over the provider. Supreme Court E-Library

Understand the NPC’s 15-day rule

For an NPC complaint, you ordinarily must show that you informed the respondent in writing and it failed to take timely or appropriate action, or did not respond within 15 calendar days after receipt. This is an exhaustion-of-remedies requirement, not a deadline requiring you to file your complaint within 15 days. privacy.gov.ph

The NPC may waive the requirement for properly established good cause or a serious violation involving risk of harm—for example, grave and irreparable damage or the absence of an adequate remedy from the respondent. Explain and document why a waiver is necessary; it is not automatic. privacy.gov.ph

Step 4: File with the appropriate agency

SEC: unfair collection by lending and financing companies

The SEC currently directs complaints against financing companies, lending companies, and their online lending platforms through the SEC iMessage portal.

Follow the SEC’s complaint instructions. Prepare:

One completed complaint form per respondent company.
A valid government-issued ID.
Supporting documents and evidence.
Proof that you first pursued remedies with the company.

For lending activity by individuals or companies without a Certificate of Authority, the SEC’s published instructions direct reports to epd@sec.gov.ph.

Save your submission and reference number. The SEC’s published process gives the respondent company 10 days from receipt to answer or comment; that is not a promise that your complaint will be resolved in 10 days. Securities and Exchange Commission

NPC: misuse or unlawful disclosure of personal information

Use the NPC’s current Complaint-Affidavit, introduced on 1 July 2025, rather than an older saved template.

Complete it accurately, attach your government-issued ID and evidence, and have it notarized. Include your correspondence with the respondent, proof of receipt, any reply, and supporting witness affidavits where applicable. privacy.gov.ph

The NPC’s formal filing guidance permits submission in person, by courier, or by emailing a scanned notarized complaint to complaints@privacy.gov.ph. Follow its document requirements and retain proof of submission. An informal email asking for help is not necessarily a properly filed complaint. privacy.gov.ph

The basic complaint fee is ₱500, plus a legal research fee of 1% of the filing fee, but not less than ₱10. Additional fees apply to damages claims and certain applications.

Indigent litigants may qualify for exemption. The published requirements include income and property criteria, a barangay certificate of indigency, supporting notarized affidavits, and a tax declaration where applicable. Ask the NPC for the payment assessment or exemption requirements before paying. privacy.gov.ph

You may file personally without hiring a lawyer. A representative generally needs a special power of attorney. The complaint must include the required certification against forum shopping and truthful disclosure of related proceedings. privacy.gov.ph

BSP: when the lender is a BSP-supervised institution

If the actual lender is a bank or another BSP-supervised financial institution, first use its consumer assistance mechanism. An unresolved concern may then be escalated through BSP Online Buddy (BOB) or the BSP’s prescribed complaint form.

See the BSP’s official consumer assistance guidance. The BSP also accepts the completed form at consumeraffairs@bsp.gov.ph, with prior complaint correspondence and supporting documents. An app’s use of a bank account or e-wallet for payment does not by itself make the lender BSP-supervised. ConsumerAssistanceChannelsChatbot.aspx

Law enforcement: threats and suspected crimes

For credible threats, suspected extortion, identity misuse, or other possible crimes, seek assistance from the police, PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group, or NBI. Describe the acts and provide evidence; investigators and prosecutors determine the appropriate offense.

Use the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group’s official contact directory to find a relevant office. The PNP itself directs complainants to that directory for coordination. foi.gov.ph

Do not wait for a lender’s response before seeking police assistance when someone’s safety is at risk.

What to ask for—and what a complaint cannot guarantee

Make your requested relief specific: stopping abusive messages, ending improper third-party contact, removing unlawful posts, correcting false information, investigating responsible collectors, or addressing unauthorized data processing.

If harmful disclosure is continuing, ask the NPC or a lawyer about an urgent application to restrict processing. Such relief requires the applicable procedure and evidence and may involve a bond; it is not automatic upon filing a complaint. privacy.gov.ph

Regulatory action does not automatically erase your loan, award compensation, or result in arrest. The SEC expressly states that its complaint process cannot rewrite loan terms or cancel or settle the obligation. Claims involving damages, contract validity, or criminal liability require the appropriate legal process. Securities and Exchange Commission

Common mistakes that weaken a complaint

Writing only “the app harassed me.” State exactly what happened, when, through which account or number, and who received it.
Deleting evidence first. Preserve conversations, loan documents, and posts before uninstalling or blocking.
Assuming every contact-list access is unlawful. Explain the actual collection, use, disclosure, or excessive permission involved.
Using an outdated form or filing channel. Use the current NPC template and SEC iMessage instructions.
Treating copied government email addresses as formal filing. Follow each agency’s requirements.
Hiding related complaints. Disclose related proceedings where required and keep the accounts consistent.
Posting unredacted evidence publicly. This may expose IDs, account information, and other people’s data.
Paying an unverified collector. Confirm collection authority and payment instructions independently, and keep receipts.
Assuming filing suspends payment or court deadlines. Address the debt and any authentic legal papers separately.

When help is urgent

Seek prompt police or legal assistance if a collector threatens physical harm, appears at your home and behaves violently, uses your identity, or demands payment tied to threatened exposure.

Get legal help quickly if you receive genuine court papers, a prosecutor’s subpoena, or another official notice. Verify authenticity through the issuing office using independently obtained contact details. A collector’s message threatening a case and an actual summons are different documents.

If you cannot afford counsel, ask the Public Attorney’s Office or an available legal aid service about assistance and eligibility. Bring your evidence folder, agreement, receipts, and official notices.

Frequently asked questions

Can I complain even if my loan is overdue?

Yes. Default does not remove protection against abusive collection or unlawful data use. It may affect specific rules, such as the exception concerning contact hours. The validity and amount of the debt remain separate issues.

Can a lending app contact my family, friends, or employer?

A relationship to the borrower does not automatically make someone liable for the debt. A chosen character reference may be contacted for legitimate verification, but is not automatically a guarantor. The NPC’s amended rules prohibit contacting people in the borrower’s contact list for debt collection other than declared guarantors. Different considerations apply where someone actually undertook a co-maker or guarantor obligation. privacy.gov.ph

I never borrowed. Can I still complain?

Yes, if your own personal information was unlawfully processed or you were otherwise affected by a privacy violation. Preserve the messages and tell the company in writing that you dispute the claimed connection. A borrower generally cannot pursue another adult’s privacy complaint as their representative without the required authorization. privacy.gov.ph

Does agreeing to the app’s terms authorize public shaming?

No blanket permission results from accepting app terms. Processing still must comply with privacy law and the specific collection restrictions. Preserve the terms and permission notices because their wording may matter.

Can I report to both the SEC and NPC?

An incident may raise both collection-conduct and privacy issues. Present the relevant facts to each agency and disclose related proceedings as required. Do not assume filing with one agency automatically files a case with another.

Can I be jailed simply because I cannot pay?

Mere nonpayment of a debt is not a ground for imprisonment. Article III, Section 20 of the 1987 Constitution prohibits imprisonment for debt. This does not prevent a civil collection case or prosecution for a separately established criminal offense. An unpaid loan alone does not establish fraud. Supreme Court E-Library

Is there a deadline for reporting?

Act promptly. The NPC’s 15-day nonresponse period is a preliminary complaint requirement, not a universal filing deadline. Prescription depends on the violation and remedy; the NPC rules refer penal violations of the Data Privacy Act to the applicable special-law prescription rules. Seek advice about older incidents rather than assuming they remain actionable indefinitely. privacy.gov.ph

This article provides general Philippine legal information, not advice on a particular case. The appropriate remedy depends on the evidence, loan documents, parties, and applicable procedures. Official sources checked on 9 October 2026.