noun
demanding payment for a non-existent loan
Refers to a fraudulent scheme where a lender demands repayment for a loan that was never actually provided. Often used in contexts of financial scams or yakuza-related extortion.
暴力団がカラ貸しで中小企業から金を巻き上げていた。
The gang was extorting money from small businesses through fake loan demands.
カラ貸しの被害に遭わないように、契約書をよく確認しましょう。
To avoid falling victim to fake loan scams, carefully check the contract.
詐欺 is a general term for fraud, while 空貸し specifically refers to the fraudulent demand for repayment of a non-existent loan.
ヤミ金融 (illegal lending) often involves 空貸し as one of its tactics, but 空貸し focuses on the fake loan aspect rather than the broader illegal lending operation.
Compound of 空 (から, 'empty') and 貸し (がし, 'lending'), literally 'empty lending'. The term likely emerged in the context of financial fraud to describe loans that exist only on paper.