Just some words from a veteran (stupid)
Hey guys,
I would like to stand out in support of all the bros here who keep repeating the same advice over and over again for the support of all that have been scammed or played by the UMLs/ scam *******s. This may be a long one.
This comes from myself who had borrowed from UML 9 years ago, got into trouble with UML because i did a job for the UML as i was younger and scared of the threats given by the UMLs over the phone due to late payments.
I was arrested and jailed when i was 29. Darkest days of my life then. Went in a few weeks as the job i did was not direct harassment but i admitted to it. Charged for assisting UML operations.
I served my time, went bankrupt (i had a lot of credit debts caused by gambling).
It was terribly embarrassing and inconvenient with the bankruptcy and the jail sentence. Hard to find jobs and had to rely on some streetsmart and managed to crawl back up to now own a small business, doing ok. Even so, during this period, i also ran into some periods of extreme difficulty and i responded to a whatsapp message from a UML and thought i could borrow something to tide over. What happened after was a period of threats from all the moneylenders previously after scanning my Singpass which gave them details to everything about my new life ---> HELL for a second round.
What i experienced was the full suite of tricks and methods from all these UML. from friendly bargaining to immediately threatening to send people to mess up my door and sent love letters to my mail. I lived in embarrassment and fear and started to pay again out of the want to stop all the nonsense. I got trapped again in a cycle that happened years back. One day, after one round of threats, I WOKE UP. I realised suddenly very clearly that i cannot support this kind of payments and had to end it. I rounded up my wife, parents and my employer and told them everything. I expected to be chided and to be blamed again. BUT everyone took my side. everyone who i loved took my side as everyone were genuinely angry at the UMLs.
We (my family) all changed numbers and we made police report and installed a camera. We had a number of nuisances including a very messy fire at my door which the UMLs tried to scare us. (the fire at my door nearly spreaded into my flat. it was lucky i didnt have any combustible material to feed the fire on the way to the sofa. And me and my wife slept through the incident until i discovered it in the morning. Lucky HDB fire insurance paid for the damage and i had a good paintover the soot-blackened areas. but the soot damage done to the corridor was amazing and i thank the Town council for their fast actions and my neighbours for their patience. The arsonists were arrested shortly after.
But what i am writing here is not to say anything about me. I just want to share with all who are having problems with UML. The below are things i learnt and hope gets through to everyone in trouble now:
1. DO NOT FEAR. THINK LOGICALLY.
Whether you borrowed or were scammed, it's the same. The UMLs and/or scammers belong to large groups based overseas (as it is impossible to operate in SG already). These people have no reach on you and rely heavily on runners to do their work. As such, they REALLY cant do much damage to you long term unless you allow yourself to continue paying or be too embarrassed to stop them. Continuing to pay gets you in a spiral that gets heavier and heavier everyday, and there is no end. Their business model is fear-mongering. No reason or no logic. They may sound good to you. they may have been your perceived friend. But think again. You have never seen them. Nor do you know them. Why pay that kind of interest/ scammed payments to feed them when the money can go into making your family feel better?
They woke on fear and are good at it. many of them are just young punks working like you for a boss who has a set of SOPs and KPIs for them to observe. The people who call you from different stalls, loaning you money or listening to your request are all people working for the same bosses, just finding excuses to load you so they can have a money flow in singapore.
2. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU STOP PAYING?
Lucky ones (usually the small scam cases or small loan cases who paid back) should not get heavy disturbances like locks or fire. You will get harassed at your door or mail box or workplace. Its like their last step before they write you off for the time being. They may come back once in a while to send a couple of letters or uncalled pizzas to your place.
Unlucky ones will get the "heavy-duty" punishments. AND THEN they will slowly taper off if you do not respond.
But trust me. nothing is worst than living in the constant threat environment which will eat you alive and make you do things that you logically will not do. like work for them to reduce your loan. like steal from your family. like destroying friendships by constantly borrowing from them.
3.SO HOW DOES IT ALL END?
Easy,
1. police report - tell the truth
2. Do not pay any more - everytime you pay, you make them want to come after you more.
3. change your phone line - no contact will mean a clearer mind
4. inform your family and employer - tell the side of a story to get them to side with you. you will be surprised how everyone actually cares for you. It may be temporarily painful but it's the ONLY way
5. Clear up the disturbances and harassment and over time, it ends. Full stop.
4. ANY MORE THINGS YOU SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR?
NEVER GIVE YOUR SINGPASS INFO OUT. YOU WILL BE SURPRISED HOW MUCH DAMAGE IT CAN DO TO YOU.
To everyone out there, if you work with the UMLs or if you think you want to work for the UMLs, YOU WILL GET CAUGHT. It's not worth it.
Just my sharing and hope that it heals you as much as it heals a part of me.