KUALA LUMPUR: Scammers are now targeting debtors by posing as fake loan sharks and convincing them to settle a fake debt, says Datuk Seri Michael Chong.
The MCA Public Services and Complaints Bureau chief said he received 11 complaints of such cases, and two individuals have already deposited five-figure amounts to scammers posing as loan sharks.
According to Chong, these debtors were contacted by the scammers just after they lodged police reports on their previous cases of being harassed by loan sharks.
"Some, after one-and-a-half hours or one day after lodging a police report, they will receive a phone call or text message from a so-called ‘manager’ of the loan shark.
"The scammers told debtors that they received a call from the police about the report and they are willing to settle their debts at a discount," said Chong.
Enticed by the discount, some of the debtors would end up depositing a sum, believing that they have settled their previous debts.
"After that, when they receive the call from the actual loan shark that they borrowed from, only then they realise that they had deposited money to a scammer," he added.
MCA Public Services and Complaints Bureau deputy chief Ivan Tan said after studying the 11 cases thoroughly, his team could only determine two possibilities, either it being a conspiracy between the scammer and the loan shark, or an inside job.
"How could the information in the victim's police report end up in the hands of a scammer?
"So, we will gather all the information and pass it to the authorities to investigate," said Tan.
According to Tan, some victims received text messages from scammers, with information being eerily similar to the police report that they lodged earlier.
"The messages have their full name, home address and all the words are in capital letters.
"The wording in a police report is all in capital letters and the message could be copy-pasted from the police report," said Tan.
A victim, only wanted to be known as John, said his predicament began when his wife, a foreigner, had borrowed RM2,000 from a loan shark.
According to John, late payment interests eventually accumulated to RM43,500 earlier this month and he resorted to lodge a police report on Aug 11.
After the report, he received WhatsApp messages from an unknown number claiming to be a manager of the loan sharks mentioned in the police report, demanding further payment.
"I subsequently blocked the scammer and he contacted him using a different number to threaten me and my family," said John, who subsequently sought help from Chong.
According to Chong, some of the victims had deposited as much as RM10,000 to these fake loan sharks.
"We urge all borrowers to lodge a police report if you receive any such messages.
"Remember to cross check the phone number or bank account if it tallies with the loan shark you borrowed from. If it doesn’t, they are scammers," added Chong.
Meanwhile, Chong said he received a total of 243 cases involving nearly RM25mil owed to loan sharks as of August this year.
"Most of them told me that it was due to business failure, but I don’t believe it, as many of them are also involved in gambling," added Chong.
