If you’ve fallen for a “sambung bayar” scheme, or are using this on a buyer, you may face jail time.
With the recent global pandemic rocking the stability many knew and the current deteriorating economy here in Malaysia, many people are struggling to cope and/or recover.
It is even worse for younger people who are looking to buy their first car since petrol prices, along with everything else are rising.
Which leads to them seeking the “easy” way out and trying to finance a loan for a used car instead of paying it off in full or taking out a loan to get a new car, the latter of which is also a tedious process.
Despite what many may think, this concept of “sambung bayar” has been plaguing Malaysians for many years now and applies to more than just cars, although we most often see it when one tries to buy a used car.
While this type of shady transactions are usually only conducted within family by just taking them at their word, oftentimes, there will come a point where the buyer either cannot continue to or refuses to keep paying which leads to issues that affect the seller.
The main way in which these schemes take place is when the owner of a car (usually an older car) feels it is difficult to keep making the monthly payments on said car and the buyer is looking for, as mentioned, the “easy” way to owning a used car.
More often than not, it is a desire to not make a downpayment that leads to this.
What’s worse, there are now agents positioning themselves as middle men, who assist sellers who want to get their used car sold through these “sambung bayar” schemes and this leads to a bunch of illegal transactions.
Since the majority of Malaysians are unaware that these schemes are illegal, the Royal Malaysia Police shared a post on their Facebook Page, ‘Cyber Crime Alert Royal Malaysia Police.’
This was done in an effort to educate the public on why one should avoid this type of scheme when in the market for a used car since there are more reasons than the fact that it is simply illegal.
So, did you know that these schemes were illegal? If you were considering buying a used car, would you still opt for a “sambung bayar” scheme, knowing what you know now?
While we are all going through a hard time right now, we need to adopt a “this too shall pass” attitude and remember that illegal activities are never the way to go, no matter how hard things may seem.
