Victims of harassment by online lenders troop to PNP to file charges

A group of victims who were harassed and intimidated by online lending platforms' collection agents filed various complaints before the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group on Saturday.

The Philippine Association of Loan Shark Victims Inc. (PALSVI) led by its founder Vanessa Burdeos, trooped to Camp Crame to file cyberbullying, harassment, grave threat, and data privacy violations against 15 online lenders.

LOOK: Mga nabiktima umano ng pangha-harass at pananakot ng ilang online lending company, nagsampa ng reklamo sa PNP-Anti Cyber Crime Group sa Camp Crame. | via @luisitosantos03 pic.twitter.com/ayqVb4pUom

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) June 17, 2023

PALSVI’s complaints stemmed from the harassment, humiliation, and threats experienced by its members from the collecting agents of online lenders if they were unable to pay their loans on time, according Luisito Santos’ report on Super Radyo dzBB.

In a previous report from 24 Oras, some online lending firms have allegedly resorted to harassment to collect from debtors whose payments have been delayed. One of the lending apps allegedly even sent a client a funeral flower arrangement because of unpaid debts. 

PALSVI urged the government and Congress to draft laws against the abusive practices of online lending firms.

Senator Joel Villanueva has earlier filed a resolution to investigate the rise of unauthorized and unregistered online lending platforms in the country amid reports of harassment experienced by borrowers.

The lawmaker also mentioned that the SEC revoked the Certificate of Registrations of 2,084 lending and financing companies that failed to secure their Certificate of Authority and canceled the CA of 39 financing and lending companies because of various violations.

The SEC has also been receiving complaints of abusive debt collection practices and other violations of online lending applications as it recently took down more entities engaged in unauthorized lending activities, Villanueva said in his resolution. 

In May, authorities nabbed eight agents of an online lending agency in Pasay City for allegedly harassing and humiliating their debtors on social media. —VAL, GMA Integrated News