CRIB is not a blacklist
CRIB's own FAQ says it does not blacklist anyone and does not decide whether you get credit.
confirmedCRIB FAQYour rights
A threat is not the same as legal power.
If a lender is pressuring you, separate what is documented from what is only a threat.
CRIB myth-buster
Can they really put me in CRIB?
Not just because they say so. CRIB says it is not a blacklist, and credit information is supplied through authorised or member lending institutions.
Data comes through authorised channels
CRIB describes credit information as supplied by authorised lending institutions and member institutions, updated monthly.
confirmedCRIB FAQ on credit informationThe new Act matters, but it does not excuse threats
Act No. 9 of 2026 treats licensed moneylenders and licensed microfinance institutions as credit institutions for CRIB purposes. That is not proof that an unlicensed app can list you.
confirmedMicrofinance and Credit Regulatory Authority Act, No. 9 of 2026Collection pressure
Map the tactic to the right response.
Repeated calls, abuse, or social-media shaming
Reported patternSri Lanka Police has warned about complaints involving harassing calls and defamatory social-media content linked to online loans. Save evidence and report serious threats.
reportedSri Lanka Police online-loan warningCRIB threat with no licence proof
Verify before accepting itAsk for the registered legal entity, licence category, and written basis for any CRIB claim. A message alone is not proof.
confirmedCRIB FAQDemanding OTPs, bank passwords, NIC photos, or private images
Do not sharePolice cyber-safety advice tells the public not to share banking details, OTPs, passwords, PINs, NIC numbers, or personal photographs with third parties.
confirmedSri Lanka Police online-crime warningMisuse of contact lists or private data
Data complaint routeIf a lender or collector uses personal data outside what you agreed to, preserve proof and consider a complaint to the Data Protection Authority.
confirmedData Protection Authority contact pageNew regulation
What Act No. 9 of 2026 does and does not do.
It creates a regulator
The Act establishes the Microfinance and Credit Regulatory Authority of Sri Lanka to regulate moneylending and microfinance business.
confirmedAct No. 9 of 2026, sections 1 and 2It includes customer-protection functions
The Authority is given functions including complaint handling for customers of licensed moneylending and licensed microfinance institutions.
confirmedAct No. 9 of 2026, section 4It does not make every app lawful overnight
The Act's protections depend on licensing, appointed dates, rules, and enforcement. If a collector threatens you now, document it and use the relevant complaint route.
confirmedAct No. 9 of 2026