Three unlicensed online loan agents have been brought to court by the Anti-Cybercrime Department,following allegations of threatening victims.
The agents were working in Phnom Penh’s Chbar Ampov district, as revealed by Sok Nithya, director of the department, which is under the Ministry of Interior.
The suspects were arrested with the cooperation of the National Police and sent to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court following questioning.
“They confessed that they had worked as agents for an online lending group, lobbying people to borrow and collecting from those who did,” said Nithya.
Their activities, as detailed by the department, involve threats to those who delay payment.
The group for which they worked is unlicensed and does not hold a permit from the National Bank of Cambodia. The identities of the suspects will be disclosed after the operation concludes, Nithya said.
Stringent measures are being taken against unauthorised financial services, following a joint mandate from the National Police and the central bank. The public have been advised to report any illegal financial activities and to avoid borrowing from informal financial providers.
In June, a 23-year-old woman filed a complaint against an online lender after they publicly shared her picture on Facebook due to a defaulted payment of $50.
“I borrowed money from one lender to pay for another, until I fell into a debt trap,” she said.
Another victim shared her struggle with online loans, having been threatened and harassed for her inability to repay her debt. She advised against seeking online loans, describing them as “really risky”.