CORRECTION NOTICE: An earlier post (dated 12 Dec 2024, that has since been deleted) communicated false statements of fact.

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SINGAPORE: A foreign domestic helper who borrowed $3,000 from an external moneylender decided she did not want to pay the 10% administrative fee and hurled vulgarities at them.

In an anonymous post to a Facebook group for foreign domestic workers, the woman’s employer wrote in, adding that the loan agency harassed her for the amount. The employer wrote: “Hi, we have just found out today that our helper took a loan of 3k from an external money lender and refused to pay the 10% admin fee. Not only that, my helper hurled vulgarities at loan agency and the person at the agency called me to chase for that amount”.

She added that she only found out her helper took a loan when the agency messaged her. “I’m in shock and upset that my helper never mentioned to me about such loan”, the woman wrote, saying that there was a possibility her maid might have also borrowed money from more than one source.

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“Also, the money lender is pestering me about the money she owed”, the employer wrote.

“I have a few questions:
1) If I cancel her work permit and send her back, will I still be liable for all her loans or admin fee?
2) Is it that easy for helpers to lend money online? As the loan agency told me she did it online”, the woman asked others in the group.
Other netizens who commented urged her to take her helper and make a police report and inform the Manpower Ministry (MOM) as well. They added that the employer would be liable should the helper be sent back.
Here’s what they wrote:
 
In the comments section, the employer updated that they went down to the police station, and when the police checked the maid’s phone, they said they might have more dealings with other unlicensed money lenders. They urged the employer to bring her maid to the police station, but the woman feared her helper would be too stubborn and refuse.

Last month, another frustrated employer took to social media complaining about her domestic helper who had been lying to them. In an anonymous post to a Facebook group for both employers and helpers alike, the woman wrote: “My helper has been lying to us from day one of her contract”. She added that her maid was ending her contract early, which the family did not mind.

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However, the employer wrote that her maid had lied to them despite the family saving her from a loanshark once. “Now she tels us she already got an employer who is allowing her to stay out of registered premises from sat night to monday morning. Is there anyway where i can keep mom informed about her plans? Is there any way we can ban her?” the woman wrote, asking others in the group what the rules were.

Maid lied to employer about borrowing money from loanshark, she now wants to transfer to another family that allows her to stay out of registered premises on weekends