Is Lakeshore Loans Legit?
Yes — Lakeshore Loans is a real, operating lender. But "legit" and "low-risk" aren't the same thing, and there's a separate, important problem: impersonators using the same name to run advance-fee scams. Here's how to tell the two apart.
Yes, Lakeshore Loans is a real, legitimate company — but scammers actively impersonate the brand. The real lender never charges upfront fees, never requests payment via gift cards or cryptocurrency, and operates only through its official tribal entity (Giizis LLC). Always verify the lender via BBB, contact information, and the official domain before submitting any banking details.
The real company
Lakeshore Loans is operated by Giizis LLC, an entity wholly owned by the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, based in Wisconsin. It has an open Better Business Bureau file dating to 2016, carries an A+ BBB letter grade, and is not BBB-accredited. It operates as a tribal lending entity, which is a recognized — if controversial — category of lender that the CFPB and several state attorneys general have scrutinized over the years for using sovereign immunity to issue loans above state rate caps.
Signs this is a legitimate operation
Registered business entity with a public address, an active BBB profile going back nearly a decade, a working customer service phone line, and published loan terms (amounts, funding timelines, and payment methods) rather than vague promises.
The scam look-alike problem
Separately, multiple consumers have reported being contacted by parties using the "Lakeshore Loans" name who demand an upfront fee — sent via gift cards, crypto, or wire transfer — before releasing a loan. Legitimate installment lenders, including the real Lakeshore Loans, do not collect a fee before disbursing loan funds. Some of these reports describe contact patterns (unsolicited calls/texts to people who never applied, requests to open a crypto wallet) that are inconsistent with the real company's published process.
Red flags of an impersonator
Asked to pay an "insurance," "processing," or "release" fee before funding; asked to open a crypto wallet or send funds via gift card; contacted you first without an application on file; pressure to act within minutes; refuses to confirm a callable business number.
How to confirm you're dealing with the real lender
Start from the official domain
Apply only through the lender's own published site or through a vetted comparison partner — not a link texted to you out of nowhere. Watch for misspelled look-alike domains.
Call the listed BBB phone number
Cross-check any number that contacts you against the number on the lender's official BBB profile before sharing information.
Never pay to receive a loan
A legitimate lender deducts fees from the loan proceeds or bills them as part of repayment — it does not ask you to send money first.
Check your state's lending database
Some state financial regulators publish lender advisories specifically about tribal lending entities; search your state name plus "tribal lending advisory."
Report suspected impersonation
File a complaint with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and with the BBB Scam Tracker so other consumers are warned.
Confirm your offer is real
Check your eligibility directly through our vetted application partner — no upfront fee, ever.