In 2024, the Ombudsman received over 6,000 economic rights-related applications from citizens. 9 percent of these applications were related to fraud cases. Cases of issuing credit from various commercial banks based on citizens' personal data have significantly increased. While the number of such applications was 110 in 2023, it has increased by 42 percent in 2024. The Ombudsman's information service announced this.
60 percent of the applications involved individuals posing as "Click" company or Central Bank employees, who carried out online credit issuance using citizens' personal information. In some cases, credits from 5-6 commercial banks were issued in the name of a single individual.
Regarding these applications, internal affairs investigators sent instructions to commercial banks stating that these citizens have not used the credit funds themselves and have been found to be civil plaintiffs, also requests to suspend the calculation of credit debt and interests until the guilty parties are found. Article 36 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan specifies that written instructions and decisions given by an investigator in accordance with the law are mandatory for all enterprises, organizations, officials, and citizens. However, despite this, banks continue to demand repayment of the credit from citizens who have been deceived as a result of fraud.
On behalf of these directives, the Ombudsman has filed 5 lawsuits in civil courts in favor of citizens, declaring credit agreements made with banks as invalid. The credit funds taken in the name of one citizen were returned to their benefit, and compensation for moral damages was achieved.
