Nomen omen
Well, given the company name, one can't say they weren't upfront about it...
Southeast Asia's Uber-clone turned superapp, Grab, collects so much data about its customers and drivers that it can rate their suitability for a loan – and is already a significant lender to its drivers. Grab started life as a rideshare operator and did so well that Uber quit some Asian operations and acquired a chunk of Grab …
I immediately heard the lyric “Saint Peter, don’t you call me ‘cause I can’t go; I owe my soul to the company store.”
I can envision how the company could put those people in handcuffs with a loan bigger than they can honestly afford, but not so big that they won't knock themselves out trying to pay back. There could also be a clause that if they leave the company or reduce their hours, the loan for that scooter with all of the accessories is due immediately or at an accelerated rate. They wouldn't be able to take that scooter to another job where they might make more money while enjoying a pretty good rate on the loan.
The whole setup is frightening. It's also nothing new.