Ready to use guns to threaten borrowers

In the past time, taking advantage of the prolonged COVID-19 epidemic situation, people’s lives are facing many difficulties, “black credit” activities and usury loans have increased, complicated developments in many localities throughout the country. country. In Quang Nam province, the “black credit traps” are set up more and more sophisticated, morphing in many forms. Victims are caught up in a spiral of debt, constantly being subjected to mental terror, even assaulted, and threatened with life.

Objects using social networks zalo, facebook and many loan sharking applications (apps) to reach borrowers

Over the past two years, tourism activities in Hoi An city have almost frozen due to the impact of the epidemic, leading to a halt in business and trade. A small trader at Hoi An market said that at the end of last year, her business was sluggish and her income was not enough to cover her family’s living, so she sought out a fast money loan service. This small trader did not know that she had fallen into the “black credit” trap, and then “the mother’s interest, the child’s interest”, until she could not pay the debt, she was constantly threatened and assaulted by the subjects.

“Every time it’s noon, I’m nervous and scared because when the time comes to collect the money but I don’t have it, they scare me, run my wallet, beat me with things. I am so afraid that I have no mind to trade.”

To collect debt, loan sharks are ready to use weapons to intimidate borrowers

Another small trader at Tam Ky market, Quang Nam province said that at the end of last year, she urgently needed 10 million dong to pay for her purchases. Through referrals, she sought a quick loan service. According to this small trader, the loan procedures are very simple, just need to photocopy the identity card to be able to borrow 10 million VND, but she only received half of the amount as registered.

“Loaning 5 million, I have to pay 250,000 VND in installments every day, every day I have a job and don’t go to the market, they threaten to cut me off and cut everything. They gave me 5 million, but minus the fee of 500,000 VND and then deducted the profit of 2 million VND, they only gave me 2.5 million.”

To deal with the authorities, subjects use social networks zalo, facebook and many loan sharking applications to approach borrowers with interest rates from 240% to 360%/year. Applications are advertised with content such as: quick procedures, no collateral, immediate disbursement via bank accounts, but collect many illegal fees and fines.

In 2021, Quang Nam Provincial Police prosecuted 20 cases and 30 defendants related to black credit activities

A female official working in Quang Nam province shared that in 2017, in order to have money to help her relatives, she turned to an online loan application. Just take a photo of the ID card, register for simple procedures and provide the 10 nearest contact phone numbers, and you can immediately borrow VND 20 million within 36 months. This loan has been paid by the female officer on time, but from the end of 2020 until now, she has continuously received debt collection calls. This woman said that the subjects used many unregistered phone numbers to make threatening calls and terrorize relatives and colleagues.

“I just told them that just bring the loan documents to my house, I will invite the neighborhood group to testify so that if I still owe the real debt, I will pay it and they have to cancel it for me. But they still refused, forced me to transfer money to pay them, but they didn’t come to the house. Harassed me for 2 years now, put my picture on the internet saying I’m a scam.”

Many new tricks to lend “black credit” to trap borrowers

Hundreds of cases of “black credit”, life turned upside down. Many people have to quit their jobs and leave their places of residence. A representative of a hospital leader in Quang Nam province said that over the past time, the subjects have repeatedly called and harassed the hospital’s leaders when they thought that the staff in the hospital owed money.

“They called the personal phone number of the hospital leader, then the leader’s family, and even called the hospital’s hotline. It’s very annoying because they call all the time during off hours, some people get dozens of calls in one night, and the phone number keeps changing so it can’t be blocked.”

Recently, loan sharks operate under the guise of businesses pasting leaflets, advertising, calling for loans without collateral…

According to Captain Pham Van Tuan, Deputy Head of the Criminal Police Department, Quang Nam Provincial Police, in fact, subjects apply very high interest rates, interest overlaps and other fees, making borrowers unable to pay their bills. Payment: “Currently, the debt collection company has not been allowed to operate since January 1, 2022, but in reality, there is a phenomenon of debt collection by establishing law firms or law firms. finance company. These companies recruit employees to perform the use of junk sims to call for debt collection and contract with each other to sell debt.

Many exhibits and weapons were seized by the police at the home of the loan sharks

Last year, Quang Nam Provincial Police prosecuted 20 cases and 30 defendants related to black credit activities. Since the beginning of the year, this locality has handled 4 cases and 9 subjects have been prosecuted. At the end of last year, the Investigation Police Agency of the Quang Nam Provincial Police Department had criminally detained 5 people in a loan shark ring. This group confessed to having lent money at an interest rate of 108% – 240%/year, the total loan amount was up to 40 billion dong, earning an illegal profit of 20 billion dong. To collect debt, these subjects are ready to use guns to threaten, forcing borrowers to sell their houses at a cheap price.

Since the beginning of the year, this locality has handled 4 cases and 9 subjects have been prosecuted

Major General Nguyen Duc Dung, Director of Quang Nam Provincial Police, said that many activities of “black credit” and loan sharking had been dismantled by the police force. However, the more sophisticated this activity is, hiding in many forms, the police force will continue to fight fiercely to correct it in time, so as not to cause insecurity and order in the area.

“Strictly following the direction of the Ministry of Public Security and the People’s Committee of Quang Nam province, the police force successfully dismantled many groups of loan sharks in personnel transactions. This shows the decisiveness, ensuring the security situation, safety and peace for people’s lives, absolutely not allowing criminals to run rampant,” said Major General Nguyen Duc Dung.