SEC Advisory: 22 Illegal Lending Apps to Avoid

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Contents

Between late December 2025 and January 2026, reports surfaced on "22 illegal lending apps" circulating on Google Play. The count decodes to 21 unique names (PesoOne appears twice), and the SEC flagged every one as unregistered, with cease-and-desist orders, shutdown, blacklisting, and criminal cases all on the table. The full list is below, checked September 30, 2026.

The list: 21 unique names

  1. PesoMate
  2. ULend
  3. Magaling Peso-Fast Online Loan
  4. Cashpedia
  5. Pera Now
  6. Finledger
  7. MadaPera
  8. ZRT Loan
  9. PesoOne (also listed as PesoOne-Fast Loans — hence the "22" count)
  10. Kwago Peso
  11. SL Cash
  12. Peso Ease
  13. Sure Money: Smart Loan
  14. VIP Funds-Finance Assistant PH
  15. Cashflux
  16. MeeBrar Loan
  17. Agad Loan
  18. MorePautang
  19. CashTwig
  20. Suki Peso

One name crosses the waves

MorePautang is also a doing-business name of Umeta Credit Lending Corp., the corporation that drew its own cease-and-desist in February 2026 over unrecorded platforms and collection violations. The full tracker keeps every wave in order; the overlap proves the same operators resurface under new coats of paint.

What the advisory means for borrowers

Three moves. If a name from this list reaches your phone, uninstall and report. Our reporting guide covers the route. Already borrowed from one? Our what-happens-next page covers the data and debt questions without panic. And if an app you use is not on the list, verify it anyway: the registered list of January 26, 2026, is the gate every legal operator passes.

Frequently asked questions

How many illegal lending apps did the SEC warn about?

Reports named 22; the unique count is 21, with PesoOne appearing twice in different listings. All were flagged as unregistered.

What happens to the 22 illegal apps?

The SEC's stated remedies include cease-and-desist orders, shutdown, blacklisting, and criminal cases. One overlapping name, MorePautang, later matched Umeta Credit Lending Corp., which drew its own CDO in February 2026.

I borrowed from one of these apps. What do I do?

Document everything, protect your data, and report the app. Our borrowed-from-illegal-app guide walks the full sequence.

The bottom line for borrowers

Twenty-two listings, twenty-one real operators, zero registrations. The advisory is a shopping list in reverse: every name on it is a name to refuse. Verify any app against the registered list before you borrow. Checked September 30, 2026.

Sources used for this review