Local digital credit provider, Azura Credit Limited, operating under the brand name TruePesa, is now facing new allegations of harassment and illegal debt shaming.
The latest complainant has raised serious concerns regarding the actions of rogue agents from the company, who, she claims, attempted to intimidate her by threatening to expose her to her employer over an overdue loan.
In one instance, the agents allegedly sent emails to people she did not know, falsely accusing her of defrauding others and misusing a bank’s name in fraudulent activities.
The rogue agents also reportedly reached out to her employer and to Absa Bank, further tarnishing her reputation in an effort to shame her into paying the debt.
“This kind of intimidation is unlawful and unacceptable,” said the victim, who is now calling for a full investigation into the actions of these agents and the company.
The complaint has been filed with relevant authorities, including the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) and the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK).
The victim also shared the damaging emails sent by the agents, as well as evidence of the threatening messages she received.
This complaint adds to the growing list of grievances against Azura Credit, which has been involved in numerous controversies in the past. Just months before this latest incident, the company faced similar allegations related to data privacy violations.
In October 2024, Azura Credit was found guilty of breaching the Data Protection Act following complaints about unauthorized use of personal data for loan recovery purposes.
The company had previously been fined Ksh 250,000 for a related offence and was issued an enforcement notice by the ODPC to cease such practices.
In that instance, a complainant named Musa Wesutsa and his company had been harassed by Azura Credit agents attempting to recover a loan from one of his employees, despite his role merely being a guarantor.
Azura Credit has repeatedly found itself on the wrong side of data protection regulations, with the ODPC ruling that the company violated individuals’ rights by collecting their personal information without proper notification or consent.
This comes after the company was fined in June 2024 for a similar violation, leading to a recommendation for the prosecution of its directors due to obstructing investigations.
These recurring issues paint a troubling picture of Azura Credit’s operations, which are becoming synonymous with data privacy violations and aggressive, unethical debt collection tactics.
While the company remains licensed by CBK to operate in the digital credit space, its track record of legal and ethical problems raises questions about its ability to comply with regulatory standards and safeguard consumer rights.
With this latest complaint, the victim is not alone in her frustration.
A group of 16 other victims, who were part of a support network formed by another person who experienced similar harassment, has also come forward to share their experiences.
They are now said to be pushing for a broader investigation into the company’s debt recovery practices and the role of its agents in perpetuating these unlawful tactics.
“Good afternoon Nyakundi. I hereby would like to officially launch a complaint against Azura credit rogue agents for data breach of data and illegal debt shaming practices. Two of your rogue agents threatened me that they would embarass me to my employer over overdue loan because i was unable to pay in time. True to their word, they sent emails to peope i do not know and to Absa calling me a frauster and that am going around defrauding people using the banks name and promissing to give them tender. They have also gone ahead and send emails to Absa in effort to debt shame me. Unfortunately, this type of intimidation is unlawful and doesnt work I have additionally been harrased with bad messages, screen shots below. I would like to understand who i defrauded and why you guys think you are above the law. I have also shared emails sent to Absa bank and other people i dont know tarnishing my name in effort to debt shame me. I also have 16 people from a group that was formed my another harrased customer who are willing to come out regarding this debt shaming practice by Azura’s rogue agents….upon your email response, we will proceed to raise the same with ODPC, CBK and legal authorities to help with investigations.”
Below are the damaging emails and threatening messages shared by the victim, which serve as evidence of the unlawful tactics employed by Azura Credit’s agents in their attempts to coerce repayment through intimidation and defamation.
