I’m from Malaysia and dealing with a situation involving my mom that I honestly don’t fully understand anymore.
Recently, she showed my dad a message (in Chinese) from an unknown number saying she owes RM300 and if she doesn’t pay, they will expose her to family and friends. The message includes her full name, IC number, and phone number. My dad was skeptical but still paid after pressure.
This isn’t a one-off. Over the past 1–2 years:
She has repeatedly asked my dad for money, often saying it’s the “last payment,” but the requests never stop.
At one point, a “final payment receipt” turned out to be fake.
She avoids giving clear answers about how much she actually owes
There was an incident where people came to our house asking for her and recorded me when I opened the door
At the same time:
She has a history of taking money from family members without being transparent
She is currently under a structured repayment plan with Agensi Kaunseling dan Pengurusan Kredit for credit card debt, but has already missed payments
We recently found out she may also be spending money on online gambling-type games
So now we genuinely don’t know:
if there are real loan sharks involved
or if this is being used to pressure my dad into giving more money
or if it’s a mix of both
My dad tends to panic whenever “loan sharks” are mentioned and keeps paying, and it’s getting to the point where selling the house is being considered.
There are also other inconsistencies in her explanations and behavior that make it hard to determine what is accurate.
I went to the police to ask about making a report because the message mentioned exposing family members (which includes me and my brother), but they said a report can only be made if my mom (the borrower) is present. I asked her to go with me, but she refused.
What I’m trying to figure out:
Does this pattern (small amounts like RM300 + threats to expose) look like actual loan shark behavior in Malaysia?
Has anyone dealt with something similar where it’s unclear if the threat is real or being used internally?
What can family members realistically do if the person involved refuses to be transparent?
How serious is this in terms of actual risk (harassment vs physical danger)?
I’m honestly more confused than anything at this point and just want to understand what I’m dealing with and how to protect myself and my family.