Hook, line & sinker: Loan apps resort to phishing
HYDERABAD: Even as the police have intensified the probe on organisers of microloan apps who are fleecing people, organisers continue to lure more victims through phishing techniques.
Several people have received texts and WhatsApp messages offering instant microloans and have approached the police. Police suspect that the organisers might have changed their approach as people have now become alert regarding such loan apps.
They have cautioned people about the scam and urged them not to avail such apps. ACP, Cybercrimes of Rachakonda Commissionerate S Harinath said, “In the recent past, there were complaints on how micro loan apps were exploiting people. Now, people are receiving texts and WhatsApp messages offering similar instant and hassle-free loans.
The messages also contain links which could be used to trap users and fleece them — a method termed as phishing. People should be aware of such messages and not click on such links, especially on any links received from an unknown source,” said Harinath.
It was found that though no cases have been reported so far, people who received such messages had alerted the Cybercrime police. Meanwhile, teams have been deputed to Delhi and Bengaluru to nab the callers. Searches were also conducted on the offices of some loan apps in a few parts of the city. During the searches, police seized documents and other incriminating material from the premises, to be used for further investigation.
120 A youth who had availed loans of Rs 3 lakh from 120 apps complained of harassment by
organisers to the cops
City cops raid micro finance offices
The Hyderabad Central Crime Station (CCS) police of cyber crime wing conducted raids on several micro finance offices located at Begumpet and Punjagutta and detained senior officials of these firms. Acting on specific information, the police took custody of the accused for offering loans to needy people and then harassing them for defaulting on the loans. According to the police, the management of one app firm had hired at least 1,000 staff for working at their offices. The management had set up a call center from which the staff would call customers and threaten the victims of consequences if they did not repay the loans