Sending Money Without Submission Is A New Mode Of Illegal Loaning To Trap Victims, Investment Alert Task Force: Report To Police Immediately!

A screenshot of the Chairman of the Investment Alert Task Force Tongam L. Tobing. (Photo: Doc. VOI)

JAKARTA - The illegal online loan modes in trapping their victims are increasingly diverse. Recently, the Investment Alert Task Force (SWI) smelled the practice of sending (transferring) funds without a loan application.

The chairman of SWI Tongam L Tobing also appealed to the public to report to the police if they experienced the new mode of illegal borrowing.

"However, if the information is obtained from the account number and the sending bank, the public is advised that the funds be sent back to the sender," said SWI Chairman Tongam L Tobing, quoted by Antara, Wednesday, July 20.

According to Tongam, the illegal online loan mode by transferring funds without submission is suspected because the recipient of the funds had access to an illegal online loan application by filling in data. Although in the end the person concerned did not borrow, continued Tongam, data on account numbers, contacts, and other personal data have been obtained by illegal online loan applications.

"For this reason, we urge the public to avoid illegal online loans and only use applications that have permission from the relevant agencies," Tongam said.

Tongam said, in order to deal with illegal online loans, including those using the mode of transfer of funds without submission, SWI at the center as well as the Regional Investment Alert Task Force Working Team made both preventive and repressive efforts.

Preventive efforts are in the form of educating the wider community through socialization, briefing the Regional Investment Alert Task Force Team, public lectures, being a resource person in webinars, and interviews with the media.

Furthermore, preventive measures are in the form of responding to complaints or questions from the public, distributing SMS "Beware of Illegal Online Loan" through seven operators for the period 11 to 14 July 2021, collaboration with Google to add additional requirements for personal loan applications, and public service advertisements through official media or local radio.

Meanwhile, the repressive efforts carried out by the task force included announcing illegal online loans to the public and cyber patrols, as well as submitting regular site and application blocks to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

Furthermore, the task force cut off access to finance by asking banks or non-bank payment service companies not to cooperate with illegal lending and submitting an information report to the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police for law enforcement.