They used to be called standover thugs. In Singapore, they were employed in 2006 by the infamous Ang Soon Tong gang and today those in the clutches of illegal money lenders know their methods. In the US, these stand-over thugs were a feature of Tammany Hall politics epitomised by Mayor Daley in Chicago and lurid stories by Mario Puzo about the mafia.

We thought they had largely disappeared, but these methods have returned with renewed vigour in the US. This is a concern for all who want to do business in the US, or those who deal with others who do business in the US.

This is how it works.

To continue reading,

Sign in to access this Premium article.

Subscription entitlements:

Less than $9 per month
3 Simultaneous logins across all devices
Unlimited access to latest and premium articles
Bonus unlimited access to online articles and virtual newspaper on The Edge Malaysia (single login)
Related Stories

Stay updated with Singapore corporate news stories for FREE

Follow our Telegram | Facebook