Officials from the Pune cyber cell said the number of complaints pertaining to scams involving loan apps went up exponentially in 2021 and 2022, with 928 and 319 complaints, respectively.
An official of the Pune cybercrime cell told TOI, “Such cases have been increasing since last year, more so since the last three-four months. In the last one-and-a-half months alone since 2022 began, over 300 complaints have been lodged.
Citizens should be wary of such apps, which promise a higher loan amount, but less than the promised sum comes into the customer’s account. Then the app employees start forcing the victims to pay back the amount within a few days, at times using abusive language. People should not download such apps as they are fraudulent.”
The official added that these apps don’t have permission to offer loan and are thus doing it illegally.
Shweta Chawla, a digital forensic investigator and head, Pune-based SC Cyber Solutions, recently came across a case where a person, who took a Rs1,000 loan on such an app, was later pressurised and blackmailed to repay the loan.
“The victim took the loan for 5 days at 30% interest. After the five-day period was over, he was offered a roll-over of another five days by the app if he paid Rs700 more,” said Chawla.
Later, the…
