Dear bros and sis here,
I understand the feelings that most of you here have right now as I myself have to deal with loan sharks ordeal not once but twice; but I had managed to overcome them. For your info, 1st time I jam about $30k-$40k and second them about $10k.
Below I will share some of the things you can do in your fight against loan sharks.
1. STOP paying the loan sharks as their main job is to squeeze as much money as they can from you. As some had mentioned here, unless you are so loaded that you can pay them continuously, you got to stop paying them.
2. Be frank upfront with your next of kins and offices. Tell them about your involvement with the loans sharks,; whether you had borrowed from them or the loan sharks deposits loans without your approval (scam). If it is a scam, your NOK with definitely be more understanding and help you to overcome these. Your support from NOK and offices are important. In fact, most employers would be willing to help you in fending off loan sharks if you tell them before hand.
3. Finding help adn support - Most of you will be feeling very helpless and need help once the harassment from loan sharks starts or is imminent; that is why you look up this forum for helps. In fact, we would be worried about the reactions from your NOK and office. As some had mentioned previously, you can seek help from Blessed Grace Social Services. They are trained cousellors in dealing with loan sharks problems for loan shark victims and they can help you to talk to your NOKs and family members and give them calm. They can also talk to your employers and may help to you to retain your job while dealing with the problems. They also have a support group and you can meet and get sharing with a lot people who had loan sharks problems in the past but had overcame them. You will find that YOU ARE NOT ALONE and can see the hope thru them.
4. Change a new number if you can and stop all communications with the loan sharks. Do not even go and read their whatsapp messages and they will know your fear. Just lie low and wait for the whole issues to calm. Most of the times after 1-2 weeks, though some may be longer. But the loan sharks will give up after some time; mostly within a month, as they will not waste their time in chasing something they will not get.
5. Harassment and humiliation from loan sharks. This is a tactic that loan sharks used to make you feel the fear and humiliation and into paying them. You just have to bear with all these harassment and wait for the things to tide over and for them to give up. We had brought all these upon ourselves and just have to face it. They may call your neighbours, send posters, call our offices. We just have to bear with it and wait for things to tide down. If they splashed paint or lock your gate, just report to the police and let the police do their job; it is very easy to apprehend loan shark runners with todays technology and police cams around. They also dont have an army of runners to do all the harassment with today strict laws around.
6. DONT EVER ASSIST THE LOAN SHARKS by giving your atm cards or becoming their runners. For your info, 1 atm card will get 1 months's jail and $30k fine. if you cant pay the $30k fine, then 1 more month jail in default; which is 2 months jail for every card you give to ah long. For runners the setence is more stiff, you will get caning of at least 3 strokes for each harassment and a couple of months jail for each offence. I was in prison once for a drinking offence and I had came across a lot people who gave their atm cards or ah long runners (commando). I saw ah long runners' fleshy and blood stained buttocks when we are bathing and it is not something which you want.
I hope all the above will help calm you and give you some help on dealing with the loan sharks. Feel free to ask me if you need any more info. Remember you are not alone and many had come thru all these ah long ordeal.