IPOH: A 41-year-old chef has lost about SGD$10,900 (about RM33,737) in a housing loan scam linked to loan sharks.
The victim, who only wished to be known as Ha, works in Singapore and had planned to buy a house in Johor Baru.
“I came across a housing advertisement on Facebook in August last year which included a bank loan application. I clicked on the link and proceeded to apply.
“I was then contacted by a housing agent who requested various personal and financial documents, including my working permit, Singapore bank account details, residential address, salary slips and other supporting documents,” he told a press conference organised by Pasir Pinji assemblyman Goh See Hua here on Monday (May 11).
Believing the request to be valid, Ha said that he submitted all the required documents.
“After further inquiries, the agent said that the loan is linked to loan sharks.
“That made me stop pursuing the application and informed him to withdraw,” he said.
Ha said the agent initially told him it was fine to withdraw, but a few minutes later, an individual identifying himself as Max contacted him using the phone number +65 8829 9903.
Ha said he was coerced by Max into accepting the loan as it was “already approved”, despite his protests.
"However, about SGD$700 was later transferred into my bank account without my knowledge and he even sent me the receipt.
“He then demanded that I repay SGD$1,300 to resolve the issue. Out of fear and panic, I transferred the amount," he said.
The suspect continued to claim the money was not received and threatened the victim and his family.
Fearing for his safety, Ha made repeated payments of SGD$300 every Wednesday from Sept 17, 2025 until April 8 this year, amounting to 32 transactions.
The harassment continued in Singapore and in hometown here, forcing Ha to lodge police reports in both places, with investigations ongoing.
“I am no longer able to sustain these payments and I am deeply concerned for the safety of my family and myself,” he said.
Meanwhile, Goh advised the public to apply for loans directly through official banks and deal with authorised financial institutions.
He also reminded the public not to click on loan advertisements or suspicious links online.
“If you encounter a similar problem as the case above, please lodge a police report first," he said.
