00:00Online loan scammers are now targeting innocent neighbours by splashing paint on their homes and issuing threats to pressure borrowers
00:09into paying inflated debts.
00:12MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Sri Michael Chong said the syndicates intimidate neighbours with no links to
00:21the loans, hoping they will pressure borrowers or their families to settle the debts.
00:26This scammer, they don't target the victim house. They target the neighbour house. Why they target the neighbour house? It's
00:38to make sure that the neighbour go after them, go after the victim.
00:43The scammer will tell the neighbour, because you're this neighbour, borrow money, we attack you.
00:55Chong said the syndicates are scammers posing as moneylenders, demanding repayments many times higher than the original loan.
01:03In the latest case, a 51-year-old woman said her younger brother borrowed 1,000 Singapore dollars from a
01:09syndicate claiming to be based in Singapore.
01:12The scammers later demanded 10,000 Singapore dollars and threatened to double it to 20,000 Singapore dollars if payment
01:19was not made.
01:20Chong said a man identifying himself only as Simon contacted the family using foreign phone numbers and continued issuing threats
01:29despite attempts to negotiate.
01:32I spoke to him, I introduced myself, I tried to reason with him because the family said want to pay
01:39back not 10,000, want to pay back 1,000, want to give him back 1,000 plus the loan
01:46which he took.
01:47So the family also said, no mind, we don't want trouble, we pay back 2,000, we pay back 2
01:54,000, sing dollar, we pay back.
01:56So I talked to Simon, I said Simon, if the family want to pay you back, can you please, we
02:02don't want trouble.
02:03It's wrong, actually what you do is, there are lots of police reports, but you know, since the family wants
02:10to pay you, can you consider, can you, I mean, to reduce someone, you know what he said?
02:19He said no.
02:21I said Michael, we said, I'm sorry.
02:24I don't know who's Michael, but I know Michael Jackson.
02:28Police reports have been lodged and the case has been transferred from the Commercial Crime Investigation Department to the Criminal
02:35Investigation Department after the syndicate allegedly threatened to burn down homes and kill the victims.
02:42Since the police report is made, I also want the police to investigate whether there are several houses that have
02:48been burned or done by this fellow or not.
02:50And there's one burned to death, whether he's the one who's doing it or not.
02:55I want the police to investigate because he admitted he burned the house.
03:01Chong said police have arrested the suspected paint splasher, believed to be a hired runner, while the mastermind remains at
03:08large.
03:09The victim apologised to her neighbour, saying the family only discovered the attack after finding a threatening note and reviewing
03:17CCTV footage.
03:18She said the neighbour later contacted the syndicate, believing the wrong house had been targeted, only to be told the
03:25attack was intentional to pressure the family into paying.
03:29We do not know what is happening, what will be going to happen next.
03:33So we are very worried and very scared every day and cannot fall asleep.
03:42Chong said his department has handled more than 200 similar cases involving claims exceeding 18 million ringgit.
03:50He urged victims to lodge police reports immediately and warned the public against applying for loans through online advertisements,
03:57saying many are scams disguised as moneylenders.
04:07And there are some warnings who did not fit, too.
04:08That's going to be helpful for us to encourage mr.
04:08Context on social andērna to keep
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