Kozhikode: Even as a nationwide crackdown is on against illegal loan apps, a 25-year-old woman here on Wednesday attempted to end her life after receiving a threat from one such lending operators. The woman, a native of Kuttiyadi is currently undergoing treatment at Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital.
Though the housewife had borrowed only Rs 2000 from the money lending app, the scamsters made her repay Rs 1 lakh. Even after that, the loan app company continued to demand money from her and blackmailed her by sending her morphed nude photo.
“I had paid them by pledging my jewellery. But even after paying the amount, they sent my morphed images to my phone. They also threatened me that they would forward these pictures to my relatives and circulate them on social media,” the woman told police.
It is learnt that the fraudsters have accessed the photos on the woman's phone and forwarded a few morphed pictures with a threatening note.
The state has been witnessing several such cases in the past few months. In September, a husband and wife in Kochi died by suicide after killing their two children. Police probe revealed that the couple took the extreme step after being hounded by the online loan sharks. With suicide cases increasing, Kerala police have initiated action to tackle these online fraudsters.
The police have established a new WhatsApp number for helping people facing threats and blackmail after obtaining loans through unauthorised loan apps. Information could be passed on to the number 94979 80900 around the clock.
Complaints could be filed as a text, photo, video, or voice file. However, there is no facility to speak in person. If necessary, the police will call back the complainants and collect the details. The system is based at the police headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram. The police made the arrangement after several incidents of suicide were reported following threats over non-repayment of loans taken through illegal apps.
