Received a text from a "not so close" friend of mine earlier asking to borrow money. The last time we interacted was probably 4-5 years ago. What would you do?

Imo, it depends on how big the sum is and as the others have pointed out: how financially available i am to help

I probably would try to help.

The question is how much you are comfortable with.

Follow your heart, not your mind on this.

I once loan some money to a close buddy who committed suicide a few weeks later. Never regretted it. Imagine if that dude does a mistake that is irreversible. Would that weigh on you?

If u r financially-abled to assist his loan amount, by ALL means help!!!!! U never know u could save a life! (A person who has gone missing for years means that he could be independently wanna struggle to achieve something w/o the need to beg/depend on anyone, it is not ez to strugg alone, he needed all the time he has to be involved in) in the first place, did we ever contact him? Unless u r saying upon several rounds of msgg him or trying to contact him, he has never responded although he is physically in the same ctry with u- then forget it!

but wat if you are not financially abled ? yet wish to help? then

1) Mentally tell yourself that you might not able to get the amount back (lend a portion of what he needed)

2) Make him do an "IOU" stating by when to return what amount ....yes, he has to provide his NRIC no. for practical means!

He must be desparate to ask a "distant" friend for help, a desparate person could NOT get to choose! Opting for the above is Still SO MUCH better than getting it from a loanshark or Money-lender!

we dont have to be 佛系 all the time to make the society more livable!

Last, just find some excuses to Ignore such persons who have hardly contacted u (for no gd reason) .... finding excuses is not equivalent to pushing to someone or to Nominate some names for him to go borrow from! this is Pure selfish! (if u do NOT like such feeling of providing a loan, the others dont enjoy it too)​​​

I wouldn't lend at all especially since he hasn't been in contact for few years. It's very unlikely he'll return. even close friends can't be trusted when it comes to money. I've learnt from experience. Just politely and firmly decline