SINGAPORE: A man was disappointed to find that after resuming activity on his social media, old acquaintances—many of whom he hadn’t heard from in years—started reaching out, not to reconnect, but to borrow money.
Sharing the full story on r/askSingapore, a Reddit forum, he clarified that his posts on social media weren’t about flaunting wealth or showing off success.
Instead, they were simple updates about his life, such as returning from a sabbatical and the exciting news of starting a new business. “Somehow, it has caught the attention of some ‘old acquaintances’. And that’s where the nightmare begins,” he wrote.
He said these old acquaintances, who hadn’t tried to stay in touch before, would send casual messages like “Hello bro” or “Hey bro, you look like you’re doing good.”
But soon after, the conversation would shift, and they would ask for small sums of money, often starting with S$50 or S$80. At first, he didn’t think much of it and would send the money, assuming it was a one-off favour. But things quickly escalated.
As the messages kept coming, the requests for money increased too, with some acquaintances eventually asking for sums as high as S$100 to S$300.
When it came time for them to repay him, they often disappeared or made excuses like, “It’s only $xxx, why would I run away from you?”And even if they would pay up, the cycle would start all over again.
“The next day, it starts again with the same ‘Hey bro’ message. They often come with stories of something terrible happening to them or their family, asking for more financial help,” he said.
“I always try to give them the benefit of the doubt and help, but it’s become a vicious cycle. What scares me is how they slowly escalate to asking for bigger sums,” he added.
To break the cycle, the man offered them simple paid work related to his new startup—tasks that required little effort but would allow them to earn money instead of borrowing it.
However, despite the seemingly easy opportunity, they consistently declined, giving excuses like being too busy or dealing with personal issues.
This refusal to work, even when offered a chance, made it clear to him that they were more interested in asking for handouts than earning their way.
Running out of options, he asked the community, “How do I reject these requests without feeling guilty or like a bad person? Would it be wrong to block these people who constantly borrow money and make me chase them to return it?
Do you think the issue lies with these people, or am I missing something?”
“You don’t have to feel guilty. Just say no.”
In the comments section, many Singaporean Redditors advised the man to consider blocking or limiting contact with these acquaintances, pointing out that it’s better to be seen as distant than constantly feeling exploited.
One Redditor said, “Ignore the messages. Unfollow/unfriend them. They just see you as an atm. Friends that contact you when they need something are not your friends, period.”
Another commented, “You asked the people to do simple tasks in exchange for money, but that option was refused. They obviously don’t need the money that bad. They just like the idea of taking advantage of you. And yes just block those who you have not had contact with.”
Others even joked that he could respond with increasingly ridiculous stories about his own financial problems to turn the tables on these acquaintances.
One Redditor expressed, “Bring your work problems to them. Every other week, share your imaginary work woes. Annoy them until they don’t want you to contact them, and they won’t even want to contact you.
If they don’t want to reply, you can even turn the tables and accuse them of being a bad friend.”
Another suggested telling these acquaintances, “Actually, I am not doing too well. Can I borrow $50 from you?”
Meanwhile, a few Redditors said he could simply be honest with these acquaintances and tell them that he doesn’t have the funds and doesn’t want to waste time chasing after repayments.
One Redditor stated, “You don’t have to feel guilty. Just say no if you wish to respond. The borrowers are probably used to rejection if borrowing money from others is habitual.”
Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)