Online loan application fraud: Chennai and Bengaluru police issue advisory, ask victims to contact cybercrime cell

The Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Grand Chennai Police Department has issued a notice urging people not to give access to loan applications and to notify the police if they fall prey to such online frauds.

Police said there were around 60 unauthorized online loan applications on Google Play Store, which are not registered or recognized by the Reserve Bank of India as NBFC (Non-Banking Financial Company).

“If you or people close to you receive abusive or threatening and harassing calls, prefer a police complaint immediately,” the police said.

The notice comes days after a 27-year-old man allegedly committed suicide near Chengalpattu following harassment by people claiming to be representatives of online money lending applications.

Police have also warned that these apps have privacy policies that collect data available on a user’s phone, thereby violating the user’s privacy and using it against them as well. “A user’s phone contacts, photos, camera, locations and phone memory can be compromised by online money lenders. The public must therefore be careful.

They also advised that the name of the grievance officer as well as the contact information provided by these applications are fictitious.

Meanwhile, the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of Bengaluru City Police on Wednesday confirmed the presence of illegal app-based instant microcredit companies also operating out of Bengaluru after similar cases emerged in Hyderabad, Cyberabad and other cities in the country.

Joint Police Commissioner (Crime) Sandeep Patil said three such cases were recorded by the CCB on Wednesday. “The CWB has recorded three cases against online loan applications that illegally grant loans at exorbitant interest rates.

Anyone who has been the victim of such fraud should contact the Cybercrime Police Station with details. “

A senior CCB officer said more details of the applications and cases filed would only be released after verifying the same from different sources. “Strict measures will be taken against offenders,” he added.