Loan Sharks target a preschool near the Pinnacle@Duxton – 5 lessons we’ve learned

Loan sharks recently vandalised a preschool at The Pinnacle@Duxton. It was nothing spectacular, a standard “paint splash and run.” And that proves loan shark runners are not too bright, or they’d know pre-school teachers are experts at cleaning splashed paint and ink off the walls.  They probably didn’t even notice for a good 20 minutes. Still, I spoke to three of the residents via email, and they gave me the scoop on what they’ve learned:

1. Loan sharks don’t just target the debtor’s unit

It’s common knowledge that immediate neighbours are also affected. But for the residents I spoke to, this is the first time they’ve realised loan sharks will also target facilities like childcare centres.

One of the residents wrote that: “If they will target the childcare centre, what’s next? Will they also harass the school where the debtor’s children went to? Will they target every unit in the block?

Previously I always thought of this kind of thing as an isolated situation –  if someone owes money it’s their problem, it won’t concern me. Now I believe we need stronger community efforts. We need to come down on loan sharks with the entire weight of the community.”

2. Sometimes, a resident actually wants to pay off the loan shark (bad idea)

What surprised me is that one resident felt they should pay off the loan sharks. He only wanted to be known as Kenny, and he claims he had a brother-in-law who had the same problem. According to Kenny, a payment of $1,000 (not the full amount of the debtor’s loan) was enough to persuade the loan shark to leave.

This strikes me as a bad idea (how do you know they’ll stop? Oh, did they give you a promise?)

It’s best to bring it to the police, at the very least because a pay-off just encourages a loan shark to repeat his tactics.

3. It’s a bonding experience

One of the residents half-joked that it was a bonding experience, because “This is the first time I’ve actually seen strangers talk to each other in the lifts and common areas. Now the loan shark has given us a community event.”

I was told that many visits have now been made to the original debtor’s apartment, and some residents have considered setting up a watch. It looks like criminal activity builds neighbourly vibes better than any number of line dance or basketball events.

4. There is a danger that a resident might lose it and go Liam Neeson on a loan shark

The general sentiment is not one of fear. Partly because the loan sharks only have the imagination and tactics of a delinquent 13-year-old.

Mostly though, there’s anger because it’s unfair. Kenny writes that: “I overheard one of my neighbours talking about beating up the loan shark. He was quite angry because his son went to the preschool. And I had to calm him down and explain he would just get into worse trouble than the loan shark.”

The danger here is one of residents turning violent. It’s illegal to go at a loan shark runner – many of whom are desperate young women from indebted families by the way – with the business end of your golf club.

5. There is no overnight solution, no matter how dramatic the act of loan sharking

You might think loan sharks are easy to catch. After all, they leave their phone number at the scene of the crime? Also, we’ve all seen the response in movies – the police pour out of armoured trucks, and a helicopter with a sniper hovers around*.

(*Although how someone would accurately shoot from a moving helicopter is a terrifying question.)

The reality is, there’s minimal drama involved – and it takes a while for the police to get to the bottom of it. Loan shark syndicates have many different layers; the actual financiers of the operation are invisible to the lower rungs.

So the police need to catch the runner, the runner’s boss, the runner’s boss’s boss, and so on. The eventual mastermind may not even be in Singapore. And in the meantime, 24 hour police protection may not be warranted when all that’s happening is more splashed paint.

So while our police force is efficient and world class, don’t imagine a phone call will erase loan shark problems in a second.

Watch out for loan shark targeted property before you buy

Work with reputable agents, who will be honest about such problems, or simply not deal with such properties. You can check out our articles on how to spot the signs of loan shark activity, or look up better property listings at 99.co.