What Happens if You Lie on a Loan Application? - Experian (2024)

In this article:

  • 4 Potential Consequences of Lying on a Loan Application
  • How to Get Approved for a Loan

Most loan applications ask for personal information such as what you do for a living, your income and what type of debts you have. Giving false answers can result in a range of consequences, including getting rejected for the loan, having to repay the loan faster than you anticipated and facing legal ramifications. Here's what you need to know.

4 Potential Consequences of Lying on a Loan Application

Applying for a personal loan? If you're thinking about lying on the loan application because you're afraid you might not get approved, don't. What may happen next is nothing particularly good.

1. Your Application May Be Rejected

You may get a chance to give the lender the correct information, but if a lender suspects you of fraud, you'll likely see your application rejected.

If you discover after submitting an application that you made an innocent error, it's advisable to contact the lender as soon as possible to give them correct details. Incorrect information on a loan application—harmless error or not—may delay your application's processing and may, ultimately, lead to you being denied.

In the event that the lender discovers incorrect information and you didn't contact them to make a correction, they may deny your application outright.

2. You May Need to Repay the Loan Immediately

When a lender finds out you lied on a loan application after the loan has already been distributed, they may cancel your loan and sever their repayment agreement with you.

If your loan is canceled, you will likely have to pay back whatever you borrowed, immediately. This could spell disaster for your budget, especially if you've already used the loan's proceeds to purchase a house, consolidate debt or for other purposes.

3. You May Be Approved for a Loan You Can't Afford

Although lenders attempt to lend to individuals whose finances can handle the repayment terms they set up, if you inflate your income or don't report debts you're paying back, you could be approved for a larger loan than you can afford.

This may mean you're stuck making payments your budget can't handle and could lead to bad consequences for your credit, such as foreclosure, repossession, missed payments and even bankruptcy.

4. You Could End Up in Prison

If you do offer up a blatant lie, such as saying that your annual income is $300,000 when it's actually $80,000, you could land yourself in serious legal hot water, including jail time.

Chances are that your loan also will be canceled if you're convicted of fraud, and you'll be required to repay it immediately—as well as facing financial penalties and court costs that the judge orders you to pay.

How to Get Approved for a Loan

There's a lot that goes into determining your eligibility for a loan, including your current income, how much debt you're already carrying and your credit score. While it's unlikely anyone applying for a loan will ever be in the perfect position to be approved, there's a lot you can do to increase your chances of getting approved for a loan.

Here are some things you can do to help improve the possibility of getting a loan.

  • Get a cosigner. This isn't always easy to do, or advisable. First, the cosigner needs to have good credit themselves; otherwise, they could be rejected for the loan. Secondly, if you have a cosigner, they are ultimately responsible for paying off the loan. So if you can't, they're on the hook for whatever you owe. As noted, it's also not always easy or possible to get a cosigner. Not everybody wants that kind of financial responsibility.
  • Apply for a smaller loan. If you were rejected for a loan or believe you will be, you may want to apply for less money than you'd ideally like to borrow—and then see if you're approved.
  • Apply for a different loan. Maybe you can't get a credit card, but you can get a personal loan. There are financial institutions that specialize in offering loans to borrowers with bad credit, but those loans may have high interest rates. Be careful about what terms and conditions you agree to if you're in a situation where you continually look for someone—anyone—to lend money to you.
  • Work on improving your credit. The stronger your credit score and credit report, the higher your chances of getting approved for a loan. If you can afford to wait to apply, work on building your credit. Paying all your bills on time, only applying for credit when you truly need it and bringing down any credit card balances you carry are all ways to improve your credit.

The Truth About Lying on a Loan Application

Remember what your parents taught you: It's never a good idea to lie. If you willfully lie on a loan application, you could end up seeing your loan rejected, having to pay back money you've just borrowed, taking out a larger loan than you can afford or facing legal consequences.

Keeping an eye on your credit report and credit score is always a good idea, but it's especially important if you plan to apply for a loan in the near future. Signing up for Experian's free credit monitoring service will alert you to changes to your credit report and give you insights on ways you can work on improving your credit.

What Happens if You Lie on a Loan Application? - Experian (2024)

FAQs

What Happens if You Lie on a Loan Application? - Experian? ›

Your loan application could be rejected. You may be forced to repay the loan immediately if the lie is discovered. You could face financial hardship if you're approved for a loan you can't afford. You could end up in jail.

Can you get in trouble for lying on a loan application? ›

There have been many cases of people being sentenced to prison for providing false information to lenders. These typically follow larger criminal acts — like identity theft — but you are still putting yourself at risk of jail time. Even if you are not sentenced to time in prison, you will still face consequences.

Do personal loans check employment? ›

But most personal lenders will simply verify your income through a tax document or bank statement. If something is unclear, such as your current employment status, personal lenders can contact your employer to verify that you actually work there.

What is a false loan application? ›

Loan fraud occurs when an individual or a company misrepresents or omits relevant information with the intent to secure a loan they may not qualify for or on terms they would not receive should the truth be disclosed. Loan fraud manifests in various forms, from income falsification to identity theft.

What happens if I get approved for a loan but don't use it? ›

And that's fine -- as long as you keep up with the monthly payments as agreed. If it's an unsecured personal loan (meaning no collateral was involved), most lenders don't care what you do with the funds. However, a debt consolidation loan is an exception, because it was granted for a specific purpose.

Is lying on a credit application a felony? ›

What Are the Penalties for Penal Code 532(a)1 PC? Making a false financial statement is a "wobbler" offense in California, meaning it may be prosecuted either as a misdemeanor or a felony.

What is considered lying on an application? ›

Common lies include embellished titles, exaggerated job duties, altered dates of employment and false references. A job seeker might provide fictitious information during the recruitment process. Wrong reasons for leaving previous jobs are common.

What is the easiest loan to get approved for? ›

What is the easiest loan to get approved for? The easiest types of loans to get approved for don't require a credit check and include payday loans, car title loans and pawnshop loans — but they're also highly predatory due to outrageously high interest rates and fees.

Why do loan companies call your employer? ›

Verifying employment and salary: In some cases, such as in the mortgage approval process, the lender will contact your employer to confirm the employment history and income information you provided. This helps the lender ensure that you meet their borrower qualification requirements.

Do all loans verify income? ›

If you don't meet lenders' income requirements or have bad credit, you won't qualify for a loan. However, there are some lenders that offer loans without requiring income verification. These loans tend to fall into three main categories: loans for excellent credit, secured loans, and pawnshop loans.

Does Upstart call your employer? ›

Yes, Upstart may call your employer after you provide their contact information and give permission for the call during the application process. Upstart will not disclose any information when they contact your employer, since they are just inquiring about your employment status.

Do loan companies check your bank account? ›

Lenders have the discretion to request your bank statements or seek VOD from your bank; some lenders do both.

What happens if a loan application is declined? ›

Getting denied for a loan or credit card will not be recorded on your credit report, and it will not directly impact your credit scores. To improve the chances that you'll be approved for credit, you may want to take a look at your credit before you apply, and take steps to improve it if you need to.

Is lying on a loan application a federal crime? ›

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), making false statements on loan applications is a white-collar crime and is punishable by up to 30 years of imprisonment. While going to prison for lying on an application is rare, it can happen – and has happened.

How much can I borrow with a 700 credit score? ›

You can borrow from $1,000 to $100,000 or more with a 700 credit score. The exact amount of money you will get depends on other factors besides your credit score, such as your income, your employment status, the type of loan you get, and even the lender.

Can you be denied a loan after approval? ›

If one or more late payments or collections show up on a credit report after you've already been approved, your credit score could drop below the minimum required for your loan, and your loan could be denied.

Is lying on an application perjury? ›

Some examples of perjury include:

To make two statements that contradict each other during a court proceeding, but not admit that one of the statements is false. To lie on a driver's license application. To make a false statement on a loan application signed under penalty of perjury.

What happens if you lie on a business loan application? ›

Lying can lead to severe consequences, including denial, blacklisting, or legal penalties if caught. It is recommended to be honest, take a reasonable loan, and avoid long-term negative impacts on small businesses.

What happens if you give false information on a mortgage application? ›

The consequences of lying on a mortgage application and engaging in mortgage fraud can be severe and may include: Denial of the loan: If the lender discovers that false information was provided during the application process, they can deny the mortgage application outright.

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