Debt collectors may have a bad reputation for their strong-handed approach to their work, but it is not without good reason.
Oftentimes, they’re engaged by weary customers who’ve exhausted all other options.
That was the explanation that the Singapore Debt Collection Services (SDCS) gave after allegations surfaced about their unsavoury practices.
Source: Facebook
But in a twist of events, it looked as though the allegations came from a debtor who was hiding behind a fake profile.
The lengthy Facebook post explaining the alleged sequence of events was met with suspicions as netizens called the debtor out for hiding behind a dummy account.
On Sunday (24 Jul), a certain “Tabitha Lee Xiang” shared a post on Facebook detailing her experience with SDCS on multiple occasions.
You can read the lengthy post here, but we’ll condense the story into points for easier consumption.
In the post, Tabitha claims that SDCS went to unconventional lengths to get their money back.
The measures they took, which she described as “underhanded tactics”, allegedly include:
All this while allegedly spewing expletives and being a nuisance to her family.
The latest encounter, which the last three points alluded to, allegedly happened on 27 Jun. Tabitha attached photos and video footage of the incident as evidence.
Here’s a picture of the debt collectors hanging outside the glass door of her unit.
Source: Facebook
This footage allegedly shows the SDCS personnel banging on her front door. However, there are no timestamps, and the audio seems muffled, which hardly corroborates her account.
Insisting that she does “not owe any individual or business entity any form of debt”, Tabitha claims that she has incurred financial losses from the experience. Her mental health has also been affected.
Her domestic helper and front desk staff have also allegedly indicated their desire to resign.
While these events sound terrible altogether, there seem to be a few loopholes in the story.
Tabitha wrote that she had lodged a police report about the aforementioned events. However, she claimed to have done so on 18 Dec 2022 — a whole five months in the future.
Perhaps aware of how SDCS functions, some netizens pointed out that they wouldn’t be searching for her if she had no debts to pay.
Source: Facebook
Another major point of contention was Tabitha’s identity herself. Noting that she has only eight friends and that her account was only active since 13 Jul, some Facebook users speculated that her account may be fake.
A quick Google Image reverse search shows that the account’s profile picture is of another person.
Source: Unilever Careers on Facebook
According to this Facebook post, the exact image is of a Ms Wu MengYu, who appeared in some marketing collaterals for Unilever Careers.
Another video that Tabitha shared showed her confronting SDCS personnel after the police arrived.
In the clip, a man’s voice can be heard addressing them.
On Monday, an SDCS member posted their side of the story on Facebook. In the post, he reveals more information regarding the case, clarifying specific points in the story.
Source: Facebook
According to him, SDCS knows the debtor’s real identity and confirms that the “Tabitha Lee Xiang” account is fake.
He further explains that the debtor, who goes by the initials “H.Y.L”, is a fund manager in charge of their client’s cryptocurrency portfolio worth approximately S$2.7 million (US$2 million).
Unfortunately, H.Y.L had claimed that his account was hacked, wiping out all the client’s assets as a result.
Unable to get a full explanation via legal means, the client engaged SDCS to locate the debtor who allegedly changed addresses just to evade them.
When SDCS managed to locate him, they claimed to have informed the police about their plan of action. They also notified the residential security guards that they were there “to serve a notice”.
Perhaps wanting to conclude this case once and for all, the SDCS member urged the debtor to arrange an appointment with them to settle matters.
He also took the chance to clarify that as a licensed agency, they carry out their duties professionally and legally.
Rather than tormenting debtors, SDCS discusses with them about how best to settle their debts in ways they can afford.
Accusing them of “harassment” and “unlawful actions” is thus out of character.
Known for their relentless approach to debt collection, one can understand why SDCS may intimidate debtors.
However, they don’t act without grounds for intervention, which brings to question the OP’s inflammatory post.
If the OP is indeed the debtor hiding behind a fake account, we hope they’ll decide to cooperate with SDCS soon, to put an end to cat-and-mouse game.
Most importantly, we hope that the people the debtor owes money to will receive some form of compensation.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Facebook and Facebook.
Tong Aik Huat also sold a winning ticket for the 21 Oct draw.
The seller was soured by the experience with Mercari, saying the platform only provided compensation…
The woman walked away naturally despite the boxes between her thighs.
He was allegedly last seen on 11 Nov.
The leopard reportedly jumped off the truck once it saw zoo staff approaching.
The trailer driver made a V sign for the media while being escorted to the…