According to Singh, the app accessed his contact list after he installed it on May 1 to simply enquire about what loan he could avail of—and without his consent, transferred Rs 3,805 to his bank account the same day. Kurar police said on May 6, Singh began receiving SMSes and threat calls demanding he repay the “loan” along with “interest” of Rs 7,000 for just six days.
Loan app demands Rs 7,000 interest on Rs 3.8k for just 6 days
Young Malad resident Anurag Singh has lodged a complaint about harassment and blackmail by agents of an online loan app. Police said one of the callers got annoyed when Singh requested if he could repay the loan in cash instead of an online transfer.
“Singh and his friends blocked the numbers after they began to forward his morphed photos. Singh filed a police case against three mobile SIM numbers, through which he and his friends got threat calls between May 6 and 7,” said a Kurar police officer.
Singh, a graduate employed with a private firm, said he came across an ‘Hedisy Loan App’ ad link on his Facebook page to get an easy loan without any documentation. As he planned to avail of a personal loan, he clicked on the link.
“I was directed to download the app. In order to check my loan eligibility and the maximum amount I could get, I uploaded my Aadhar and PAN cards, and other banking details and also granted access to my phone contact list and gallery. I was shocked when without my knowledge Rs 3,805 was credited into my account as loan which I had not availed of. What shocked me further was how the interest was calculated for just six days,” Singh told TOI.
“When I asked the tele-caller how the interest rate was calculated, he abused and threatened me saying he would ruin my image by sending my morphed photos to all those on my contact list. On May 7, I received a call from two of my friends that they got the photos along with a text claiming I had taken a loan and had failed to repay it. We all have blocked the numbers,” said Singh.
Meanwhile, Kurar police said they are investigating the May 4 suicide case of Sandeep Koregaonkar (38) from Kurar Gaon in Malad (East) who was similarly harassed and blackmailed by “recovery agents”.
Cyber expert Ritesh Bhatia said loan seekers should not blindly download such apps.
