Mumbai Crime: Fourth FIR registered in loan recovery scam case

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The harassment is still continued by the loan recovery agents who are trapping people into loan scams and blackmailing them on the pretext of recovering loan amounts. A fourth FIR has been registered against the loan recovery agent on Wednesday late night (May 11) by Kurar police station after a 35-year-old LIC recovery agent who took just Rs 3,500 loan from Ruby application was blackmailed and threatened to pay the loan after he paid the entire loan amount.

The victim is residing with his wife and two daughters at Malad East and working as a LIC agent. The victim told the cops that he wanted to improve his credit score and he applied for a loan of Rs 3,500 in April. The victim also repays the loan but after he paid the loan recovery agent sent his morphed nude videos of him and also threatened to go viral on social media.

Speaking with midday, the complainant told mid-day, "I am in too much tension now after I saw my morphed nude videos. I am living with my wife and two kids and the recovery agents are spoiling my life. I don't want to say anything but the accused should be arrested before he spreads all these videos to my contact list of friends, family, and relatives."

According to the police officials, the victim, who is a LIC agent, was in debt for the last few months and his credit score also went down. He wanted to improve his credit score and his friend advised him to take out a loan and pay the loan on time and it will increase his credit score.

On April 26, the victim downloaded a Ruby application and applied for a Rs 3,500 loan. However, on May 2 he received a call from the loan recovery agent about paying the loan amount. The victim was ready to pay the loan of 3,500 rupees with interest. The loan recovery agent sent him a link on his mobile number to repay the loan and the victim opened the link but it was not functioning. Later the loan recovery agent sent him an account number to transfer the remaining loan amount.

The victim immediately transferred the money to him but after receiving the money he deleted the sent account number from WhatsApp. The loan recovery agent also told him that it will update the account in 24 hours. However, a day after it was not updated. The victim called customer care about the application many times but it was unavailable.

However, on May 9 the victim received a call from a loan recovery agent and he started threatening him to repay the loan. The recovery agent also threatened him that if he will not repay the loan then he will make his nude photos and viral on social media.

"On the very next day victim received his morphed nude videos in which having sex with a woman. The accused sent a video on his WhatsApp and started threatening him to pay the loan or he will viral the video on social media. The victim requested to delete the video but he threatened him. After frustration, the victim approached the Kurar police and registered the FIR on Wednesday late night," a police officer said.

A police officer from Kurar police station said, "We have registered the FIR under section IPC 420 (Cheating), 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation) and various sections of IT act against the unknown loan recovery agent. We are in search of the accused."

Earlier 3 different FIRs were registered against the loan recovery agent at Kurar, Nalasopara and Pelhar police station. In various cases recovery agents threatened the victims and looted many people on the pretext of repaying the loan. All victims told midday that it's a loan scam where people are taking loans for their needs but recovery agents are extorting them and threatening them to repay the loan.