{
  "id": 2295642,
  "title": "Debt collector broke law by shouting insults at debtor’s home, visiting her husband’s office: Judge",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/debt-collector-broke-law-by-shouting-insults-at-debtors-home-visiting",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-21T04:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Straits Times Business",
    "slug": "straits-times-business",
    "url": "https://www.straitstimes.com/business/debt-collector-broke-law-by-shouting-insults-at-debtors-home-visiting-her-husbands-office-judge"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A licensed debt collection company broke Singapore law when its employees shouted insults and threats at a debtor's home and visited her husband's office to collect a private debt that was unrelated to his work. Protection from Harassment Court Judge Gregory Gan ruled that while debt collectors can pursue debts, their license does not grant them \"carte blanche\" to break the law. Judge Gan found that the debt collectors had violated the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA) four times. He granted the woman a protection order against the collection agency. The debt collection company was hired by two renovation contractors to recover an alleged $102,937 debt from the woman and her husband. The couple initially responded in writing to dispute their liability, but two employees of the debt collection agency visited their home on December 3, 2024, shouting the names of the woman and her husband and repeatedly demanding payment. The debt collector even shouted at the husband's office, threatening to visit his workplace to embarrass him in front of his staff. The judge found that the collection agency's behavior was threatening and designed to shame the couple into paying the debt.",
  "summary": "The judge granted the woman a protection order against the licensed debt collection company.",
  "key_points": [
    "Debt collector's employees shouted insults at debtor's home",
    "Visited husband's office to collect unrelated private debt",
    "Judge Gregory Gan granted protection order against agency"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}