BENGALURU : Your mobile loan apps might offer you quick cash, but default once and the ugly face of the system jumps out at you. Loan recovery agents have sunk to such a low that they send messages in unparliamentary language about the person to his or her contacts, both personal and professional, and shame them.
Being called a 'rapist' in messages sent to all the borrower's contacts is just one of the milder derogatory terms used. Co-founder of car pooling app, Quickride, Vishal Lavti told The New Indian Express about the nightmare one of his employees had gone through after in for such quick loans.
"Foul messages were sent to many colleagues as well as all his personal contacts. He has taken loans from many here to try to put an end to the harassment, but it is just not getting over. I am planning to file a complaint with the Cyber Crime cell," he said.
Lavti added that what is worse is that they have got hold of his roommate's number too, and are bombarding him too with calls and messages. The employee, completely traumatised, said when applying for the loan, they insist on the applicant parting with the contact numbers on the mobile, apart from other ID documents before the loan is approved.
"I have been taking these weekly repayable loans on and off for over a year. It is the first time I could not pay on time and I have been harassed like this. This was for a loan I availed on March 17," he explained.
It is shocking that he is being hounded for borrowing a sum of Rs 32,000, from different lenders through apps. "I have already repaid Rs 70,000 for the sum I borrowed, but am still being tortured for it. This is because a part of the original sum remains and the harassment continues," he said.
Specifying details on how the extortion occurs, he said that for a sum of Rs 7,000 borrowed for a week, one needs to pay it fully in seven days. "If one is not able to do it, then you need to pay up Rs 3,000 and it will get you an extension time of one week to pay the same Rs 7,000 again. This is how your loan builds up," he added.
Rupee Loan, Cash Box, Many Cash, Luck Rupee and Sun Cash are the concerns he has borrowed, the borrower added. "It is not just me who is stuck like this but many others including two of my friends too are at the receiving end," he says.
DL Nagesh, SP, CID (Crime), told The New Indian Express, "It is important that public do not share their contact details with unknown people. We have repeatedly tried to create awareness about it among them but a good number of people fall victims to such harassment."
Cyber Crime, Economic Offences and Narcotics (CEN) police stations are attached to each of the eight DCP offices across the City. "Those who are victims of such crimes must file a complaint at any of the CEN stations so that we can help them out," he said.