“Approved Project” or “America First Credit Union” fraudulently purporting to hold DBO license

The Department of Business Oversight (DBO) has been notified of individuals offering loans, who are fraudulently purporting to hold a DBO license. The individuals are possibly using the name “Approved Project” or purporting to be a national credit union in Utah named “America First Credit Union.”

When asked to show licensure, these individuals electronically send a fraudulently altered copy of a DBO license, which shows the license number “60DBO-36069,” the name “Approved Project” and possibly a Delaware address.  The DBO Lender License 60DBO-36069 belongs to “Advance America, Cash Advance Centers of California, LLC.”  The companies “Approved Project” and “America First Credit Union” in Utah hold no DBO licenses the DBO.

The DBO urges consumers to exercise extreme caution before responding to any solicitation promoting loans or other offers. To check whether a financial service provider is licensed in California, or to file a complaint, consumers should go to the DBO website (lender licensee lookup at https://docqnet.dbo.ca.gov/licensesearch/) or call 1-866-275-2677.