According to a July 2008 report in The Times of London, an estimated 165,000 to 200,000 people in the UK are indebted to loan sharks. Since the financial crises began a few months later, this number is likely to have risen. The government considers loan sharks to be a high-level crime because of their links to organized crime and the violence that often accompanies such transactions.
This is one of the reasons why the Office of Fair Trade recognizes cash advance loans as a preferred, alternative means of consumer finance. While credit cards and other traditional bank loans might (but not always) offer better loan terms, a cash advance is a means for working people to cover off on financial obligations in a responsible way.