Fake moneylenders
By Joyce Lim
The New Paper
Thursday, Jun 07, 2012
We've seen fake designer watches and handbags.
Now, there are fake "licensed" moneylenders, too.
These illegal moneylenders copy the company names of legal moneylenders and their registered licence numbers, and use them in their own advertising materials, such as flyers and website banners.
They also copy the writing style of SMSes that banks send to their customers, and use these SMSes as templates when they reach out to their potential clients.
"These illegal moneylenders copy wholesale from the legal moneylenders. They then add their own mobile phone numbers on the advertising materials," Mr Wayne Ng, 28, assistant secretary of the Moneylender's Association of Singapore, told The New Paper.
"When these potential customers do a company search, they will be tricked into believing that the illegal moneylenders are running a legal business."
Mr Ng added that in recent months, he has received four complaints from legal moneylenders saying that their company names and licence numbers have been illegally used to solicit for business.
But the tell-tale signs aren't hard to spot.
Mr Ng explained: "A legal moneylender will not be able to give you a loan just by obtaining your SingPass login password.
"Legal moneylenders are also not allowed to SMS potential customers to solicit for business."
Jack (not his real name), 39, was one of those who borrowed from a fake moneylender.
He agreed to share his experience on condition of anonymity.
Quick cash
In January, he received an SMS offering him hassle-free quick cash.
He called the local mobile number, but there was no reply.
Two hours later, however, he received an overseas call.
"The call was made from a Malaysian mobile number," said Jack.
"The caller introduced himself as a staff member of a registered moneylending company. He spoke in fluent English and sounded professional.
"When I told him I wanted a loan of $2,000, he said that he needed me to provide some documents to process my loan.
"I told him I was unable to provide those documents and asked if I could still get a loan without the supporting documents.
"He said 'yes' and asked for my SingPass login password (which was used to check his residential address)."
At that time, Jack, who is married with a 5-year-old daughter, had just quit his job and was working as a freelance construction coordinator.
His income was unstable and he desperately needed the money to support his family.
So he provided the caller with his SingPass login password, he said.
A few hours later, a young man called and asked to meet him at the void deck of the HDB block where he lives with his elderly parents, wife and child.
"I met him and he called his boss to say that everything was okay. Two hours later, the money was in my bank account," said Jack.
There was no document to sign and no verification of particulars, he said.
But the friendly service turned nasty when he was slow in his repayment.
Said Jack: "The person called and threatened to pour paint at my doorstep, chain-lock my gate and harm my family.
"I feared for the safety of my family, but I had no money to repay them. At that time, I received a few more SMSes from other moneylenders. So I called them for a loan.
"This time, no one met me at my void deck. I managed to get the instant loans just by providing my SingPass login password."
But Jack's debts soon piled up.
Five months later, he is now servicing a loan of more than $12,000 with four moneylenders.
He claimed that his weekly repayment comes up to $2,400.
"I'm at my wits' end. I have no way of paying back the loans," confessed Jack, who said that he earns about $3,500 a month.
Last week, he went to his neighbourhood police post to lodge a report against the illegal moneylenders.
Police confirmed that a report was made and said they are looking into the matter.
Lamented Jack: "I've been having sleepless nights as I fear that these people will really set fire to my flat.
"And I don't have the courage to tell my family about the debt. I know I took the wrong path."
Fake moneylenders
1. No need to provide income documents or meet face-to-face.
2. They ask for your SingPass login password.
3. They send you SMSes offering you a loan which legal lenders can't give.
4. They provide moblie numbers in their advertising materials. Legal moneylenders would need to operate from a registered land line.
This article was first published in The New Paper.
