How do loan sharks trick you into getting a personal loan?
In almost all business fields you will never miss a scammer or just some corny businesspeople who do not follow the respective business ethics. For example, in the money lending business section there are legit moneylenders and there are scammers who are loan sharks. You should be aware of unlicensed money lending in Singapore. Some of these loan sharks are clever enough to tell you that their agency is unlicensed because the business is too new to be on the government database. Try to research the good and legit moneylenders in Singapore to be safe. One of the best legal money lenders is SGP Credit Singapore PTE Ltd. They have favorable interest, repayment terms, privacy terms, and terms and conditions. Loan sharks can trick you into getting a personal loan through: 1. Advertising to you through unofficial platforms using unknown or unidentified accounts These loan sharks might send you messages on Whatsapp, SMS, Facebook private messaging, calls, and flyers. This could be quite suspicious because “how did they get your phone number?” or your“Facebook account details” in the first place. This is where you should trust your instincts. Their advertisements and messages may look persuasive and attractive but please do not fall into their traps. Additionally, they get these private details using the wrong means that should make you doubt them. Licensed moneylenders in Singapore should only use business directories, consumer directories, social media official sites, and official websites as their advertising mediums. You should disregard these other weird channels of communication. 2. Offering you limitless amounts to be borrowed In the normal moneylending sector, there are some rules that one should follow when it comes to borrowing. It is your collateral value that determines the maximum amount you can get. When it comes to these loan sharks they offer you any amount without considering your collateral or even other assets. They also try their best to look generous and very considerate to you which is not quite normal in moneylending. This should be a red flag to you as an individual since the deal seems too good to be true. When you are in such a desperate mood, you may end up falling into their traps and when you fail to pay, get a lot of harassment. They may even end up auctioning your properties unlawfully. At times during repayment, they may claim some other hidden fees and failed payments that they initially never told you when you were signing the loan contract. When the deal is too good, think twice. 3. Minimal or no procedures followed These loan sharks can trick you by telling you that there are no documents needed when applying for the loan. You as an individual may get attracted to such a deal fast since maybe you have no work ID to show your employment status. Your identification card and residence may also not be asked but when it comes to moneylending companies, they will require those details. These loan sharks give you an easy time in the beginning since they are aware of what you are in for in the future as they make their profit. 4. Make paperwork seem simple These loan sharks know that people do not like long processes and lots of paperwork. Hence, they make things easy. They also track people and lie to them about the policies in moneylending. This is where they trap people who are never keen when it comes to paperwork. Hence, they draft unreliable contracts. Their contracts may lack the repayment term, their legal obligations, clients’ rights, and legal measures in case of loan defaults. Please take your time when reading contracts. Loan sharks might even hurry you up in the signing of the contract to avoid you noticing that there are some missing elements in the contract. Be wise! 5. They try to convince you that there is no other option These loan sharks are very good in reverse psychology. They may talk to you and make you believe that there are no other options to get money apart from them. They will make you feel like you will remain miserable if you don’t get financial assistance from them. It is important to note that most of these loan sharks ask for your bank pin and other private matters regarding your family which should not be the case. You might even be charged a large fee in the name of processing fees which adds up to your loan resulting in a very huge debt. How to deal with loan sharks. There are various ways you can deal with loan sharks. These include: • Report them to the authorities – This could apply when these loan sharks persuade you on taking the loan online without even showing you the contract. They might even be asking for your details that are irrelevant in moneylending. Try to ask for their location as a tactic then inform the authorities or the concerned party. • Do not accept harassment They might try to harass you and force you to take the loan. Be firm on your stand and refuse to take the loan and find a way to get out of there. Conclusion Please be careful when you are planning to get a loan. Do not just go to any moneylender you hear of. You must do a background check to make sure that they are not scammers or something of the sort. Before accepting these loans make sure that the mentioned interest rate in the contract is a maximum of 4% per month. If you see a moneylender giving higher interest rates than that please do not sign the contract or take the loan since that is not legal. Most loan sharks are connected to other illegal businesses and criminal organizations. Hence, they could even be dealing with money laundering. When one is unable to repay the debt these loan sharks can even threaten your family or even take away all your stuff even those that
Loan Scam In Singapore
Between January and November 2019, at least 1700 cases have been reported, with at least $6.8 million cheated. Victims would typically receive a SMS text message or WhatsApp message offering loan services. The sender may even claim to be a staff from a licensed moneylender. Interested parties are then instructed to transfer a sum of money as a deposit before the loan can be disbursed. However, after transferring the money, no loan was disbursed. The victims only realised that the message was not from a licensed moneylender, and the person whom they had been corresponding with did not exist, after contacting the respective licensed moneylenders that the scammer had claimed to represent. In another variant, perpetrators would send victims PDF documents, purportedly from the Ministry of Law and/or Monetary Authority of Singapore, informing them that they are required to pay a deposit sum and 7% GST for the loan amount, before the loan can be approved. This was to deceive the victims into believing that they were corresponding with a licensed moneylender. In some cases, the victims received another PDF document informing that the loan request had been processed. When these victims declined to make the payments, the perpetrators would harass them by claiming that the loans have already been approved and that they had to pay a processing fee to cancel the loans. Members of the public should take note of the following: a. A licensed moneylender is not allowed to make any cold calls or send any unsolicited text messages to members of the public. b. The licensed moneylender is obliged under law to verify the identity and particulars of the borrower at its approved place of business. The licensed moneylender cannot approve or grant a loan to a borrower remotely. The address of each licensed moneylending office is published on the list of licensed moneylenders on the Ministry of Law’s Registry of Moneylenders website at https://rom.mlaw.gov.sg/information-for-borrowers/list-of-licensed-moneylenders-in-singapore/. c. A licensed moneylender will not ask a loan applicant to make any payment before the disbursement of the loan, or to make any payment to secure the disbursement of the loan. This includes GST, “admin fee”, “processing fee”, or any other fees. An administrative fee may be charged by the licensed moneylender after the loan has been granted, but this will usually be deducted from the loan principal that is disbursed to the borrower. Members of the public are advised to take the following precautions with regard to such scams: a. Ignore such advertisements. Do not reply to these messages. Instead, block or report the number as spam on WhatsApp or through third party applications. b. Do not give out your personal information such as NRIC, SingPass or bank account details to anyone. If you receive a cold call or unsolicited text message asking if you would like to take up a loan, call the anti-scam helpline at 1800-722-6688 to verify. Visit www.scamalert.sg to find out more about scams. Join the ‘Let’s fight scams’ campaign at www.scamalert.sg/fight by signing up as an advocate to receive up-to-date messages and share them with your family and friends. Together, we can help stop scams and prevent our loved ones from becoming the next scam victim. Loan Application