Legislator demands thorough investigation into debt collectors deceiving ambulances and fire services
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives Commission III, Abdullah, has demanded a thorough investigation into cases where debt collectors deceive emergency services, such as ambulances and fire brigades (damkar), to visit debtors’ homes in various regions.
According to him, debt collectors using this modus operandi must be dealt with firmly, including facing criminal proceedings, as they have harmed many parties. This debt collection practice poses a risk to public safety.
“Debt collectors must be criminalised because they have endangered the lives of many people,” said Abdullah in a statement received in Jakarta on Friday.
This statement was made by Abdullah in response to several cases in various regions involving the malicious modus operandi of debt collectors who telephone emergency services when intending to collect debts from debtors’ homes.
This modus operandi occurred in Sleman, Yogyakarta, and Semarang, Central Java. Debt collectors pretended to need ambulance and fire brigade assistance by providing the address of the debtor’s home they intended to visit.
Abdullah said that the fictitious use of ambulances is risky because it hinders the handling of patients who genuinely need emergency assistance. The same applies to fire brigades, which play a crucial role in responding to fires and saving lives.
“In other words, debt collectors have been toying with public safety and lives by deceiving ambulances and fire services to collect debts. This case must not be allowed to persist and recur,” he said.
Therefore, the lawmaker responsible for legal affairs urged the police to thoroughly investigate the case, including uncovering the identities of the perpetrators and the parties employing them.
In addition to criminal prosecution or imposing strict sanctions on the debt collectors, Abdullah said the purpose of the investigation is also to enable the deceived ambulance and fire services to claim compensation.
On the other hand, he called for the governance system of debt collection by third parties, regulated by the Financial Services Authority (OJK), to be maximised.
This is because violations in debt collection practices continue to recur, from intimidation and violence to forced seizures.
“OJK seems to be allowing this situation, not stopping debt collector practices, but also failing to prevent illegal debt collection violations,” he said.