Not the police, but another group of people. Do you think the big shots who fled are safe in Dubai? Let me tell you, they can't sleep at night. Why? Because there is a group of people who scare them even more than the police. This group is called overseas debt collectors, specializing in helping those who have been financially exploited chase debts abroad. Last month, I witnessed their methods in Bangkok, and I was chilled to the bone afterward.
First, let's talk about how big this industry is. Last year alone, there were more than 8,000 victims who sought their help for debt collection, involving amounts exceeding 30 billion. Some of these debt collection companies even have stock codes on NASDAQ. The fee structure is simple: they take 40% of the money recovered, and if they can't recover it, they don't charge anything. With this model, one major player in the industry made over 2 billion last year. Do you know what's the craziest part? Now even venture capitalists have started investing in this industry. Sequoia Capital invested in a company specializing in cross-border debt collection last year, with a valuation of 500 million USD. How do they find the fleeing big shots? Their network of information is 10,000 times scarier than you can imagine.
The first step is that they will bribe intermediaries in Dubai and Singapore. Those intermediaries who help big shots launder money will sell the client information to debt collection companies. A detailed client profile includes passport numbers, addresses, and asset allocation, worth 500,000 USD on the market.
The second step is to hire local private detectives. There is a Chinese detective agency in Dubai that specializes in this business, tracking and photographing, charging 3,000 USD a day. Checking bank accounts costs 100,000 USD each. Finding hidden money locations directly costs 1,000,000 USD.
The third step is the most ruthless; they will buy off the people around the big shots, including drivers, bodyguards, and even mistresses. The driver of a certain P2P boss sold all his trips to a debt collection company, earning 300,000 USD in a month. What will they do after finding someone? This is what truly terrifies runaway big shots.
They won't act directly, but they will make your life worse than death.
The first tactic is social destruction. They will send all your photos, videos, and locations overseas to victims in your home country, then organize the victims' families to fly to Dubai and hang banners outside your door. Imagine people cursing you in Chinese every day at the entrance of your villa in Dubai; how can you face anyone?
The second tactic is to cut off your escape routes. The local immigration bureau will report your visa issues, contact the tax bureau to report your income sources, and contact banks to freeze your accounts. I know a runaway boss whose long-term visa in Dubai was canceled due to a report, forcing him to flee to Turkey overnight.
The third tactic is the most vicious; they will find your children, and it's not a threat, it's education. They will distribute flyers at your child's international school, telling everyone that this child's father is a fraud. Can you imagine the scene of your child being isolated at school?
This case left a deep impression on me. Last year, a private equity boss from Hangzhou ran away with 300 million to Singapore, and the debt collection company made him collapse in just two months. How did they do it? He first bribed his personal trainer, who mastered his daily routine, and then arranged for victims to 'coincidentally' encounter him at his regular Michelin restaurant, played recordings of his fraud on the golf course, and publicly played the victims' accusation videos at parties he attended.
In the end, this boss couldn't take it anymore and proactively contacted the debt collection company for negotiations. Of his 300 million in assets, he ultimately compensated 210 million to the victims, and the debt collection company took 84 million. Even scarier is that this industry has started to upgrade; previously, debt collection companies just helped people collect money, but now they offer one-stop services.
What does that mean? From the day you were scammed, they start intervening, helping you preserve evidence, reporting to the police, finding lawyers to litigate, contacting media for exposure, and ultimately helping you pursue debts across borders. The payment method has also changed; it used to be 40% of what was recovered, but now it’s installment payments, starting with a 100,000 USD deposit, then 500,000 USD once they find the person, and sharing what is recovered. The thresholds for these victims have been lowered, and the business volume has directly multiplied by ten.
What are the most frightening things for runaway big shots? It’s that these debt collection companies have started to form alliances; they have established a database to share all the information about runaway big shots. If you evade Company A in Dubai, Company B is waiting for you in Bangkok; if you change your identity to Turkey, people from Company C are already waiting for you at the airport. Now there are over 200 such companies globally, with their reach extending across more than 80 countries; as long as you are still on Earth, they can find you.
Do you know what the most ironic thing is? These runaway big shots are now hiring bodyguards; a professional bodyguard in Dubai costs 30,000 USD a month, and the money they take when running away is just the protection fee, which can burn through tens of millions in a year. The more ironic thing is that these big shots have started to spiral downwards; for self-preservation, they will actively report other runaways, hoping that debt collection companies will spare them, resulting in a situation where no one in the runaway circle trusts anyone.
Let me tell you another insider secret; the latest business of debt collection companies is to help runaway big shots 'whitewash.' What does that mean? By paying a fee of 30%, they help you negotiate with victims so you can resolve issues with dignity. These big shots really can't hold on anymore; they'd rather lose 30% to buy peace. This year, eight runaway bosses have managed to get back on land through this method. Do you understand now?
Running away is not the end; it is the beginning of another nightmare. Those big shots showing off their yachts in Dubai might be targeted by debt collection companies the next second. Remember, those who mess around will eventually have to pay back; it's not that debts are unreported, it's just that the time hasn't come yet. The next time someone tells you that running away is fine, just show them this video. The net of the heavens is vast; it's not only the police who weave the net, these debt collection companies form another net that leaves runaway big shots with nowhere to escape.
🔘 This article is reprinted