A 60-year-old woman has found herself in the crosshairs of loan sharks after her identity was allegedly misused by someone she once considered a friend. The situation escalated last week when three separate funeral flower arrangements bearing her name and photo were sent to her husband’s music school and their neighbours in Jurong West — an intimidation tactic commonly used in illegal moneylending harassment cases.
The shocking act left not just the woman — surnamed Zhuo (transliterated) — shaken, but also disturbed the community and neighbouring businesses, prompting yet another police report from the victim.
Identity Misused for Loans by Former Music Student
According to Shin Min Daily News, the saga began when Ms Zhuo shared a photo of her IC years ago with a former student of her husband’s music school, a woman in her late 50s known as Ms Lan. The IC was initially shared to assist Ms Lan with purchasing health supplements.
However, unknown to Ms Zhuo at the time, her identification was later misused by Ms Lan to borrow money from illegal moneylenders. Since then, Ms Zhuo has been harassed repeatedly by loan sharks, despite multiple attempts to clarify the situation and provide Ms Lan’s sister’s contact to the syndicates.
Funeral Flowers Sent in Harassment Campaign
The latest act of harassment occurred on the night of 8 July. Around midnight, Ms Zhuo’s son discovered a funeral wreath at the entrance of the music school. It featured her full name and the chilling message “Rest In Peace.” CCTV footage revealed the delivery happened around 10pm.
Later that same day, two more wreaths were sent — one to a beauty salon upstairs and another to a neighbour downstairs. One of them even included a photo of Ms Zhuo along with the Chinese phrase “路好走” (loosely translated as “safe journey to the afterlife”). The wreath sent to the downstairs neighbour bore Ms Lan’s name and photo instead.
“Why Waste Money?”: Victim Baffled by Harassment Tactics
Ms Zhuo questioned the motives behind the expensive stunts, as the three arrangements cost an estimated S$332 in total — S$88 for one and S$122 each for the other two. “They’re spending money sending these flowers but still say they haven’t been paid. So what’s the point?” she asked.
Footage showed that the wreaths were delivered by an elderly couple who appeared confused. They double-checked their phones for the correct address and even took photos to confirm delivery.
Despite repeated efforts, Ms Zhuo has not received help from Ms Lan to resolve the matter. She described her former friend as emotionally detached and unwilling to take responsibility. “She just said she was ‘very tired’ and might as well die — it’s not the first time she’s said that,” Ms Zhuo lamented.
Attempts to Mediate Have Failed
Ms Zhuo and her husband even turned to the Community Mediation Centre, hoping to reach a resolution. However, they claim Ms Lan turned the tables and accused them of harassment instead. The judge reportedly advised Ms Lan to address the problems she created, but no resolution followed.
Now, Ms Zhuo says she’s exhausted all options. Although she is not afraid for her safety, the repeated incidents have taken a toll on her and her household. She’s also had to go door to door explaining the situation to neighbours who received the flowers — some of whom were initially alarmed.
Investigations are ongoing, and police are continuing to look into the harassment.
Image Source: Shin Min Daily News