Criminal Investigation Corps, New Taipei City Police Department seized a new Filipino immigrant, Hu, who ran a usury group and defrauded fellow villagers. She has been engaged in illegal loans for more than 10 years. When the debtors don't pay back the money, Hu would send group members to the Philippines to threaten their relatives for debt collection. She and her accomplices were seized during the police search, and they were both detained and prosecuted.
The police claim that Hu has lived in Taiwan for 15 years. She started giving little loans to her fellow Filipinos as she had access to knowledge about loans. The yearly interest rate was, however, as high as 420–450 percent, and her unlawful income totaled millions of dollars. Hu will send people to the victims' homes in the Philippines and threaten their families with violence if they are unable to pay off the debts. As a result, countless victimized migrant workers will be forced to continue working in Taiwan in order to pay off their debts.
New Filipino immigrant ran usury group with an annual interest rate as high as 450% to deceive fellow immigrants.Photo provided by New Taipei City Police Department
Following the notification, the authorities were able to arrest Hu and her three accomplices and seized evidence such loan records, IOUs, and bank books.