Scam alerts
Instant loan apps
An app gives a small loan in minutes with no papers, then demands far more back and threatens to send edited photos of you to your contacts.
What it looks like
Recovery Team
Your loan of ₹3,000 is overdue. Pay ₹9,800 in 2 hours or we will send your photos to all your contacts and post you as a fraud in your family groups.
SCAMHow it works
- The app asks for access to your contacts, photos and gallery when you install it.
- It cuts huge “fees” upfront and sets a repayment date of a few days.
- Recovery agents harass you and your contacts, often with morphed photos.
Red flags
- Loans with no checks, approved in minutes, from an app you found through an ad.
- Requests for access to contacts and gallery.
- The lender is not a bank or an RBI-registered NBFC.
What to do
- Borrow only from banks or RBI-registered lenders; RBI’s website lists them.
- Don’t pay extortion demands. Save screenshots and numbers.
- Report on cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930; tell your contacts not to respond.
- Report the app on RBI’s Sachet portal.