FOREIGN MAID BORROWED FROM LOANSHARKS, CAUSING EMPLOYER’S FAMILY TO RECEIVE HARASSMENT FROM THEM

A netizen shared a post online and is also seeking advice on how to deal with the situation that the family is facing.

According to the netizen, their family maid had borrowed money from the loan sharks and they are now at the receiving end of loan shark harrassments.

Here is the netizen’s post

“Maid borrowed money from loan shark

Hi guys, recently found out that my maid borrowed money from a loan shark. made a police report, loan sharks are sending photos n threats. it’s been causing stress for my family esp when there’s elderly at home

does anyone have any advice / past experiences on how to deal with this matter?”

Here are what netizens think

• I was in this exact same situation before.
  
  Here is what I did:
  
  Under no circumstances should you communicate with the loanshark, or worse, pay or offer to pay them any money. This will only signal to them that you are a profitable mark. Block them, ignore their messages and calls, and be aware that they could be using multiple SIMs.
  
  Install a CCTV or IP camera in a location that is visible from outside your house. This will deter any of the loanshark runners. Although nowadays, loansharks do not use physical runners – they mostly use photos of your house and your family, taken from the internet, to scare you. The loansharks themselves may operate out of China or Malaysia.
  
  Suspend your social media accounts for now. Do not give the loanshark free ammunition to use to threaten you.
  
  Make a police report. The process itself is reassuring, even if they never catch the culprits.
  
  Send the FDW home ASAP. Sorry, but this is a must. She is clearly untrustworthy and quite stupid, and her continued presence in your home will be a liability for you and your loved ones.
  
  Take each day one at a time. The threats will continue for about a month, and thereafter taper off. There is light at the end of the tunnel – keep faith.
  
• Tell the loanshark that if they are stupid enough to lend your maid money, don’t expect that you are just as stupid to pay them.
  
• Install a cctv, it might not help much but just in case threats escalate, there are recordings. If threats are via phone, block the numbers. Letters, can’t do much. Get legal help if needed. Have a read on the below, might have resources that help.
  
• Report the FDW to her agency and MOM so that MOM can ban her from coming into Singapore again.
  
• Send back the FDW and tell the loan shark that she has gone back. They will stop harassing then as there’s no point