A group of friends learned too late that there is no under-the-table way to get a bank loan.

They lost a total of RM90,000 to a man, who claimed he could help them secure millions of ringgit in bank loans the under-the-table way.

In return, the 36-year-old man, identified only as Alex, demanded some commission from them.

At a press conference yesterday, arranged by the MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong, the friends – mostly real estate negotiators – said they were introduced to Alex last year.

The first victim, real estate negotiator Nancy Lin Leng Tih, 50, met Alex through his brother-in-law, also a real estate negotiator, in July.

“Alex told me of his inside connection with a bank and said he could help me get a personal loan regardless of my financial state,” she said.

Lin said she was convinced and together with her business partner Ng Man Chan, 60, they asked Alex to help get a RM1mil bank loan each.

They paid a total of RM20,000 to Alex without filling in or signing any application form.

“He said we only have to sign after the loans are approved. If rejected, he would give us back the money,” she added.

Excited, she told her friends – real estate negotiator Goh Ah Chai, 59, and hair stylist Tu Siew Yin, 49 – about the deals.

They both took up on a RM2mil loan-deal each and then paid RM30,000 and RM40,000 to Alex, respectively.

In December, when they received no news about the applications, Lin approached Alex, who gave her a cheque with the refund amount but it bounced.

Since then, Alex could not be reached anymore.

“We went to the bank and found out that there were no loan applications made under our names.

“We asked his brother-in-law, who said he had no idea where Alex was.

“We even went to his mother’s house in Pahang to look for him but was told that he had not called for quite a while,” added Goh.

The friends made separate police reports on Dec 9 last year.

Chong said the banks had a list of detailed and strict standard operating procedure (SOP) that they had to comply with.

“There is no way anyone can get anything legally without adhering to the SOP,” he added.

Source:
courtesy of THE STAR

by Beh Yuen Hui

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