JAMMU, SEPTEMBER 19: Amid complaints of harassment and blackmailing, the cyber wing of the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Monday cautioned people against downloading Chinese money lending apps offering online soft loans.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Cyber Crime Investigation, Sandeep Chaudhary shared a 3.39-minute video clip on social media, discussing in detail the modus operandi of the culprits behind these apps.
”Chinese loan app – while using the internet you come across certain apps offering loans of Rs 5,000, Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000 on a very low interest rate for a specified period. Sometimes people deliberately or unintentionally download such apps.
”While the loan applications are under process, the app operators hack the messages, phone gallery and contacts, and transfer data to their servers outside the country,” Chaudhary said. He said the app then asks for copies of Aadhaar and PAN, following which the loan amount is transferred immediately.
After a week or 10 days, the borrower finds his loan amount almost doubled and is threatened and blackmailed since all his details are compromised and a vicious cycle starts, the SSP said.
Advising people not to download such apps in the first place, the SSP said mobile phone users should stop giving permission for viewing messages, gallery and contacts and immediately uninstall such apps.
Chaudhary has released a couple of awareness videos on two major issues – sextortion and impersonation to extort money – over the past two months.