Disabled toy seller tricked into signing as guarantor, now owes bank RM150,000

Chong (seated, left) and his lawyers meeting with fraud victim Lim Kok Sing at Wisma MCA on Wednesday.

KUALA LUMPUR: A disabled toy seller's dream of expanding his business were dashed after being cheated by a friend who promised to help him secure a bank loan.

Lim Kok Sing, 38, has been earning a living by selling toys on the street after losing his legs in an accident when he was 13.

In June 2012, he met a man named Tan who claimed to be able to assist him in securing a RM150,000 bank loan for expanding his business.

Lim was then brought by Tan to meet a "bank officer" named Pun, who made Lim sign several documents and make copies of his IC.

Lim also paid Tan RM10,000 as a commission.

But six months later, Lim receives a bill amounting RM19,000 from two credit cards that he didn't own.

Unable to pay, Lim was sued by the credit card company and filed for bankruptcy.

"I thought he was my friend and that he was helping me but I had no idea he was a cheater and a liar," he said.

The nightmare didn’t stop there as Lim received a letter from a bank saying that he owed them RM150,000 after signing to be a guarantor for a business he had never heard of before.

Lim lodged a police report on the matter in January 2014.

"I trusted them and now I have to pay for a steel business under the name of a Mr Goh. I don't even know who he is," he said during a press conference at the MCA Public Services and Complaints Department at Wisma MCA Wednesday.

Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong said he would offer legal aid to Lim.

"We would like to know how can a credit card with a RM5,000 limit be swiped up to RM19,000.

"We also want to know the status of the investigation on the police report made in 2014. My lawyer will be writing to both parties on this," he said, adding that he will bring up the matter to Bukit Aman if no action was taken.

Chong also urged the public to be cautious when signing documents that could lead them into financial ruin.

"In this case, Lim signed all the documents with his cheaters at restaurants instead of doing it at the bank," he said.