IN THE past year, I have received numerous phone calls every few days from all kinds of banks soliciting business.

On Feb 17, I received calls from Standard Chartered Bank to tell me I was a preferred customer and, as a preferred customer, I could borrow at a preferential rate of 4 per cent or more. I told the officer bluntly that I was not interested but she persisted, saying perhaps I would like to consider a credit card balance transfer instead. In frustration, I said I did not need these services and was in my office working.

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The next day, HSBC called me and I went through the same ordeal.

Should the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) not act on this? Banks should not use confidential information like cellphone numbers to make cold calls to customers, especially if customers have never expressed interest.

I would not mind if it was a few calls a year. But I have lost count of the number of calls I have received from the same banks.

My colleague told me that, if I am not in deep debt, I naturally become a target of banks. That is why I receive calls so often.

True, it is a dogfight in the market, but can these banks not leave us alone? As it is, they qualify as modern leeches.

Once they got hold of your mobile phone number, they will call you for life.

Heng Siew Cheng (Miss)

This article was first published in The Straits Times.