Mumbai: Social media content creator Shailesh Patel has become the latest victim of a mobile app-based quick loan fraud.
Mr Patel's heart skipped a beat on receiving call around midnight on Thursday from an unknown number demanding immediate payment of a loan of Rs 1.75 lakh supposedly credited to his account in a private bank.
Caller threatens to circulate ‘obscene’ pictures and chats
The caller threatened to circulate ‘obscene’ pictures and chats of Mr Patel to his relatives and business associates if the loan was not repaid with 14% daily interest.
Mobile app Large Takka allegedly credited Rs1.75 lakh on Christmas eve to Mr Patel’s account and 10 days later he began receiving threats to repay.
“I have never availed of the loan nor is the account to which the money was credited mine,” Mr Patel said. “But the caller insisted the Aadhaar and PAN card provided to avail of the loan were mine.”
Mr Patel filed a complaint at the Malad police station and with the cyber crime cell of the Mumbai Police. “The loans were credited to a branch in Bihar,” he said. “The fraudsters used my documents to sanction loans to some impostor. Now they are after me for the money.”
The victim submitted statements of his bank accounts, both of which are held in public-sector banks, to the police. Neither reflects any loan. He has also shared call recordings of the threats he has received.
According to cyber crime cell officials, most mobile loan apps are not registered with the Reserve Bank of India and do not have a licence to disburse loans.
“It is a new trend to sanction and credit loans to bank accounts without request and then demand high interest rates from victims who are threatened with morphed videos,” explained one officer.
The police are already investigating several China-backed easy mobile loan apps.
