Loan shark harasses family after helper borrows money and flees to Indonesia without repaying loan

SINGAPORE: A Singaporean employer has called the police after discovering that their foreign domestic helper had borrowed money from a loan shark and fled the country without repaying the loan.

The employer, Facebook user Ada Lee, wrote online that she learnt the helper owed money when the loan shark messaged her. The loan shark even sent her a photo taken just outside her HDB flat gate, prompting her to inform the authorities.

Ada indicated that the helper, Intan Ayu, was hired to help care for her elderly father, who is ill. Ayu had worked at her family’s home for just under a year, from July 5, 2022 to April 19, 2023.

On April 15, Ayu requested a salary advance, claiming that her father was sick. Although the helper had a habit of asking for salary advances, Ada and her family, feeling sympathetic, agreed to provide an advance of $400.

Just four days later, Ayu informed her employer that her father had asked her to return to Indonesia and that she had to leave Singapore by April 21.

The family was shocked and contacted their agent, who told them that Ayu could not return to Indonesia due to her contract with the agency.

However, out of sympathy and at the insistence of the maid, Ada agreed to terminate the employment contract immediately. The family did not ask the helper to return the advance and even gave her an ang bow as she left Singapore.

However, two days after Ayu left for Indonesia, Ada’s brother received a message from a loan shark claiming that the maid had borrowed money from him and had not repaid the loan. The loan shark sent multiple screenshots of the maid’s ID and even attached a photo of the exterior of their flat.

Given that their parents are elderly, with their father being hospitalised, the siblings decided to call the police.

While the amount their ex-helper borrowed from the loan shark was not large, Ada expressed concern that this loan shark might not be the only one owed money by their former maid.

Ada said on Facebook: “My family and I were in distress as that person who claimed himself as a loan shark had my address and even took a picture of my door step.

“Our first instinct was to contact Wendy (the agent) but all we have from her was ‘the work permit has been revoked already, there’s nothing they can do on their end, now we can only go make a police report.’”

Urging other employers to be cautious, Ada added: “We have just lodged an police report.

“If you have a helper at home, please check with them if they’re facing any financial issues so you don’t have to deal with what we have to deal, not saying that all are the same but prevention is better than cure.”