SINGAPORE: A netizen took to social media to warn domestic helpers after the woman who worked for her became the victim of illegal moneylenders, who even began to harass her family with unwanted food deliveries.
In a Dec 31 (Tuesday) post on the MDW in Singapore Facebook page, where both employers and helpers regularly put up posts, the anonymous employer wrote that her helper had initially borrowed only $300 from a loan shark. She only wanted the money for six days.
The illegal moneylenders, however, imposed a usurious rate on the loan and wanted to be paid back $1160, nearly four times the amount the woman had borrowed.
Additionally, the employer wrote that if the helper did not pay back, the loan sharks would keep sending food delivery orders to their house on a cash-on-delivery basis—a known harassment tactic employed by moneylenders.
Unlicensed moneylenders have been a problem in Singapore, to the point that the Police have a page dedicated to educating the public about them on the SPF website.
The Police say that loan sharks go out of their way to target vulnerable individuals, including domestic helpers, who are at times called upon to help their family members back home who are in need or are facing an emergency.
“Stay away from unlicensed moneylenders,” the Police warn, adding, “Ignore suspicious loan advertisements. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.”
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) also issues regular advisories for employers on how to help domestic helpers avoid becoming victims of loansharks, saying that these incidents must be reported to the authorities immediately.
There are also workshops held by Aidha to help domestic workers handle their money.
MOM also reminded employers in a 2019 advisory that there is a limit to how much domestic helpers can borrow from licensed moneylenders. This amount is dependent on how much the helper earns per year.
A commenter on the MDW in Singapore post noted many ads for moneylenders on TikTok, a platform that she said many domestic helpers actively use.
Another wrote, “Loans sharks are not stupid. They are not targeting the helpers cos they know they likely can’t pay up. They are targeting the employers.”
One chimed in to say that it would be better if employers would be kindhearted enough to lend domestic helpers when they are in need. This way, they would help prevent them from falling prey to illegal moneylenders. /TISG