Some users of a digital consumer financing platform have reported receiving alleged harassing messages after falling behind on payments.
A Filipino on X (formerly Twitter) shared that one of his referrals received such messages after being delayed in settling their Atome account.
“This morning, I received a call asking if I knew the person because he has a past-due balance with Atome, and I said no (kasi ‘di ko naman talaga kilala). Then, about an hour later, I received a harassing message,” the X user said on Monday, August 18.
When asked how the Atome user became his referral, the X user pointed to a post he made last January promoting the Atome Card, a Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) card.
The X user later shared that after checking Facebook, he found out similar accounts claiming that the alleged harassing messages were part of the financing platform’s debt collection practices.
“Kahit ‘di ikaw ang may utang, pati ikaw, aabalahin nila, kesyo ikaw daw ang nag-refer,” he wrote, sharing a screengrab of the messages he supposedly received.
STOP USING ATOME ‼️
So, one of my referrals was delayed in making his payment on his Atome account. This morning, I received a call asking if I knew the person because he has a past-due balance with Atome, and I said no (kase di ko naman tlaga kilala).
Then, about an hour… https://t.co/tKIa4zS4PI pic.twitter.com/mEqhzVukkj
— Marwin (@mjcmaranan) August 18, 2025
Another Atome user also claimed she received similar messages after being “super delayed” in paying her dues last month. She said the platform did not employ such tactics “years ago,” even when she had previously missed payments.
“Rineklamo ko sa [customer] service nila kasi nag-email na ako sa Atome na sa 31 pa talaga ako makakbayad, ayun, kumalma [nang] konti, pero panay tawag. Pero nung nag-31 na, balik [na naman] sa pang-ha-harass. Grabe,” she wrote.
One of the messages also warned that the user might be visited in their area over the missed payment.
Some of the screenshots can be viewed in this link.
Another user claimed to have received alleged text messages from Atome, which called the account holder “very shameless” for failing to settle debts.
Stop using. Atome talaga pic.twitter.com/ukQ9sOql6U
— Jnathan (@Jnathan1838181) August 18, 2025
Atome has yet to respond to Interaksyon’s request for comment.
In 2019, a digital media company reported a similar case where online lending apps allegedly shamed borrowers by sending debt-related messages to their contacts.
“Complainants say the harassment and shaming started when they failed to pay their balances on time,” then-National Privacy Commissioner Raymund Liboro said.
“The people behind the lending app called or texted their contact list about their inability to return the money, causing them embarrassment and emotional stress,” he added.
A law firm said that while harassment is not a standalone crime in the country, those receiving such texts that cause “undue distress, invade privacy, or employ unfair tactics” may file complaints that protect them against vexation, privacy breaches, and cyber offenses.
These include the Data Privacy Act, the Cybercrime Prevention Act, the Revised Penal Code and consumer-protection laws and regulations, among others.
