--- title: "M’sian Applies For Online Loan To Help Friend Settle Debt, Leads To Home Being Splashed With Paint" url: https://weirdkaya.com/online-loan-harassment-johor/ date: 2026-10-30 modified: 2026-10-30 lang: en author: "Sarah Yeoh" description: "What started out as an intention to help a longtime friend who was in dire financial straits turned into a nightmare for a shoe salesperson in Johor. This comes after..." categories: - "Society" tags: - "johor" - "Malaysia" - "online loan scam" image: https://cdn.weirdkaya.com/media/Help-turns-into-paint-harassment-cover-image.png word_count: 558 --- # M’sian Applies For Online Loan To Help Friend Settle Debt, Leads To Home Being Splashed With Paint **What started out as an intention to [help a longtime friend who was in dire financial straits](https://www.chinapress.com.my/?p=5193870) turned into a nightmare for a shoe salesperson in Johor.** This comes after his application for a loan quickly devolved into an online scam which has been haunting him and his family ever since. ## Wanted to help friend out Speaking at a press conference organised by Parti Wawasan Negara (PWN) Johor Public Complaints and Service Bureau chairman Lim Thow Siang, 34-year-old Zhang Zufan (transliteration) said his secondary friend had reached out to him for help in September. ![ wk ringgit ](https://cdn.weirdkaya.com/media/202607-wk-ringgit-3178.webp)For illustration purposes only. Photo via Canva Zhang's friend had claimed that his house was set on fire due to unpaid debts, but did not disclose the reason behind the debts or the amount owed. Not wanting to see his old friend remain in financial troubles, Zhang began scouring through online loan advertisements on social media on Oct 11. ## Backed out of application Upon stumbling upon one such advertisement, Zhang reached out to the individual behind it to enquire for further details. In response, the individual asked for Zhang's bank account and MyKad details, as well as his parents' phone numbers, which he willingly provided without any hesitation. ##### "I initially intended to borrow between RM2,000 and RM3,000, but eventually decided against it after being told to pay a deposit of RM600 to RM700 upfront. ![Help turns into paint harassment (1)](https://weirdkaya.com/wp-content/uploads/Help-turns-into-paint-harassment-1.png)Photo via [China Press](https://www.chinapress.com.my/?p=5193870) "However, the individual claimed that they had been contacting me continuously from afternoon until night and pressured me to borrow at least RM500," he recounted. In the end, Zhang only received RM300, which was subsequently deposited into his bank account the next day despite his refusal to proceed with the loan. He later blocked the individual's number after a period of unrelenting harassment. ## One demand after another Unfortunately, this was the beginning of Zhang's woes as his parents started receiving text messages from the individual, who demanded RM600 to resolve the issue. Even after Zhang's younger sister made the payment on his behalf, the individual demanded another RM600, claiming that she had failed to include a payment reference. ![closeup of woman holding handphone](https://cdn.weirdkaya.com/media/closeup-of-woman-holding-handphone-1.png)For illustration purposes only. Photo via Canva "After my dad paid a total of RM1,200 on my behalf, the individual asked for an additional RM1,000 to delete my records or risk having someone visit my home and splash paint at it. "My younger sister eventually refused to make further payment as she suspected that the individual was involved in a scam." ## Paint attack On the morning of Oct 27, Zhang's dad saw that the home had been splash with red paint. He also received a message from the individual, who triumphantly declared that his people "had done the job" and demanded RM10,000 in payment. Zhang's dad later lodged two police reports on the same day out of concern for the family's safety. ![Help turns into paint harassment (2)](https://weirdkaya.com/wp-content/uploads/Help-turns-into-paint-harassment-2.png)Photo via [China Press](https://www.chinapress.com.my/?p=5193870) ##### Meanwhile, Lim told China Press that Zhang had fallen victim to an online loan scam, adding that legal moneylenders would not resort to threats in order to pressure borrowers into making repayments. He reminded members of the public to lodge a police report immediately if they encounter similar situations and called upon police to step up efforts in cracking down on illegal moneylending activities. Zhang's family was also advised not to interact or respond to the scammers any further. **READ [ALSO](https://weirdkaya.com/loan-sharks-rm100k-gambling-debt/):** https://weirdkaya.com/loan-sharks-rm100k-gambling-debt/ --- ![Check Us out at WhatsApp now!](https://cdn.weirdkaya.com/media/cta-whatsapp-v2.jpg)Join us at [WhatsApp ](https://bit.ly/WhatsAppWeirdKaya)now! ---