A 40-year-old e-hailing driver from Kuala Lumpur who suffered a stroke ended up in serious debt after borrowing money online for medical treatment.
Although he applied for a RM10,000 loan, he received only RM5,000, but was later forced to repay a total of RM40,000 within just one and a half months due to extremely high interest and multiple borrowings.
Applied for RM10K, received only RM5K
The victim, Mr. Ho (transliteration), said he had a stroke three years ago which left him partially paralyzed and affected his speech.
In mid-September, he saw a loan advertisement on Facebook.
After clicking the ad, he was contacted through WhatsApp by individuals posing as lenders.
He said he initially applied for RM10,000 but only received RM5,000. He was told to repay the amount within 14 days or face additional interest.
Ended up owing 16 loan sharks
After taking the first loan, more lenders started reaching out to him offering extra loans.
Mr. Ho eventually became trapped in a cycle of borrowing and ended up owing 16 different loan sharks.
By the end of October, he had paid around RM40,000, which included interest charges and fees from all 16 groups.
Filed police report, but case closed with no action
Fearing for his family’s safety—especially his elderly mother with a heart condition—Mr. Ho lodged a police report and also reached out to the Malaysian Humanitarian Organization (MHO) for help.
However, his case was reportedly classified as “no further action” (NFA), leaving him without legal recourse for now.
