Loan sharks using 'mistress ruse' to harass, claims family

New Straits Times

a day ago

KUALA LUMPUR: A woman from Jinjang Utara here has lodged multiple police reports after her family was allegedly targeted by loan sharks using a woman, posing as her father's mistress, to demand payment.
The complainant, a 32-year-old customer service worker, said the harassment began in June last year. That was when a woman in her 30s, who identified herself as "Little 3", began calling family members and claiming to be involved with her 57-year-old father.
The woman reportedly pressured them to repay debts he allegedly owed, the true amount of which remains unclear.
In one instance, "Little 3" appeared at the family's grandmother's home and demanded RM300,000 after showing a loan agreement purportedly signed by the father.
The family claimed more loan shark threats followed each of her appearances.
"Normally, a mistress would come and just demand money, but because of the loan agreement, the family strongly believes that she is not his mistress but a loan shark," said MCA Public Complaints and Services Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong.
This was at a press conference highlighting several loan shark-related cases at Wisma MCA today. The complainant and other members of her family were present.
The alleged mistress also distributed the father's photograph online. Posters were also sent to relatives in an apparent effort to shame the family into paying.
The complainant's father has long been absent from the household due to work and had prior issues with loan sharks.
The family confronted their father about the allegations, but he denied having any relationship with her.
The family urged the father, who has since been untraceable, to come forward and take responsibility for the loan.
MCA Youth Legal Bureau deputy chief Victor Teoh said that if the loan agreement was genuine, the family may have legal grounds to sue the father.
Chong said the case reflects a trend in which loan sharks adopt subtler, more manipulative tactics involving women to avoid risks.
As of today, his department has recorded 196 loan shark cases, involving more than RM20 million.
The press conference also highlighted other complainants, whose cases involve strange and alarming circumstances.
A housewife in Petaling Jaya discovered her front gate chained and padlocked with a threatening note on 26 June. The note contained an IC copy of a man whom she had never met, with her home address listed.
Although police later contacted the lenders who claimed the man owed them RM300, they demanded RM5,000 from the housewife to remove her from a blacklist.
The woman had also received official letters and debit cards addressed to the man over the past year. She believes her address was fraudulently used in the scam.
In a separate case, a 29-year-old accountant from Klang said she repaid all her loan shark debts earlier this month, only to find RM3,000 mysteriously deposited into her account.
She was later contacted by a man claiming to be the depositor, demanding repayment. After blocking him, another man began threatening her with property damage and harassing her family.
Meanwhile, a coach in Rawang reported that his elder brother, a hardware shop owner and habitual gambler, had disappeared after taking out further loans.
The family, having already paid RM300,000 on his behalf, was now facing new threats.
They attended the press conference to formally disown him to avoid further intimidation.