Recently, there have been multiple incidents of impersonation and unauthorized lending within the Henan Rural Commercial Bank system, with many victims being rural residents. In Baofeng, Henan, a man was accused of having a “loan” in his name for 15 years, only for a judicial appraisal to confirm that 10 signatures and 10 fingerprints on the related documents were not his own. Similar cases often see ordinary farmers discovering significant debts years later.
According to a report by “Phoenix Net” on September 3rd, a man named Qi Pengfei from Baofeng, Henan, stated that on August 19, 2011, a personal loan of 50,000 yuan appeared under his name, along with providing guarantees for loans of 50,000 yuan each to three fellow villagers, totaling 200,000 yuan. However, he claimed that he never applied for any loans and never received any money.
In 2015, when Qi Pengfei applied for a mortgage, he first noticed abnormalities in his credit report. His signature appeared on extension documents for the loan in 2013, but his travel records showed that he was working in the Philippines during that time and only returned to China in June 2014.
In 2025, Qi Pengfei was rejected for a truck loan due to his previous experience, leading him to sue the Baofeng branch of the Henan Rural Commercial Bank in court. Following a judicial appraisal commissioned by the court, the appraisal opinion issued on August 26, 2026, indicated that the 10 signatures on the documents were not written by Qi Pengfei, and the 10 fingerprints were also not left by his own fingers. The case is set to be heard again on September 17 and has not been ruled on as of now.
Qi Pengfei’s experience is not unique, as in recent years there have been numerous instances of impersonation and unauthorized lending within the Henan Rural Commercial Bank system.
In August 2026, the Yancheng branch in Nanyang, Henan, was exposed for a collective incident of “forced loans.” Several villagers were induced to sign and verify their identity under false pretenses such as receiving subsidies, only to later discover that they had become corporate shareholders and burdened with loans ranging from several million to tens of millions of yuan.
One villager was involved in loans and guarantees totaling 14.8 million yuan, only realizing the issue after their personal accounts, properties, and vehicles were frozen. Reports indicate that a total of 8 villagers in the same village encountered similar situations, with others bearing loans of 9.5 million yuan and 4.95 million yuan, respectively.
Back in May 2026, a 60-year-old recipient of financial assistance in Tanghe County, Henan, Xing Minjin, was also involved in a case where 200,000 yuan was “loaned” in their name. Investigations revealed three instances of unauthorized lending totaling 790,000 yuan, highlighting irregularities in the bank staff’s operations.
These cases illustrate that impersonation and unauthorized lending predominantly occur at grassroots banking points, with the victims often being rural residents with limited financial knowledge and weaker rights protection capabilities.