You might be right on the specifics in this case, I'll abstain from making judgement. But as a guideline, as a framework, "it's not your job" is monstrously insufficient.
There's no loss to my life if these people remove themselves from it.
They're thieves in disguise, nothing more. No value is lost if they leave.
And in fact, because money is stored time, my life becomes MORE if they leave, because I lose less of the time of my life to them.
And they left behind truckloads of trash.
How much have you lost to those?
I would speculate once you get to a sum this significant your perspective would change ;)
If you grew up rich, you didn't have friends or uncles or aunt's constantly asking for money and never paying it back so parent poster's mindset seems dramatic/extreme. It is not.
- "I'm sorry but I've lost my job. I cannot afford this."
- "I'm sorry but no means no."
- If they insist: "Which part of the two letters in 'No' do you not understand?"
You aren't the jerk. Someone who doesn't accept "no" is the jerk.
There's places to go to to lend money, they're called banks. If you're not a bank it's not your job.