Loan App Blackmail: 1 Man Lost ₹47L This Way

A city man downloaded a fake loan app, got blackmailed with morphed photos of himself, and paid ₹47 lakh to stop the harassment. This scam is spreading fast across India.

Here's what happened: A man in India downloaded an unauthorised loan app, which harvested his phone contacts and photos without clear consent.. Operators created morphed images of him and threatened to circulate them to his contacts unless he kept paying escalating demands.. He paid ₹47 lakh in total — far beyond any legitimate loan amount — before approaching the police..

What you should do: Check your phone right now: delete any loan app that requested access to your contacts, gallery, or camera — legitimate RBI-registered lenders never require these permissions.. File a complaint immediately at cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930 (National Cyber Crime Helpline) if you are being blackmailed — do not pay even one more rupee, as payment escalates demands.. Verify any lender before borrowing: cross-check the app or company name on the RBI's official list of registered NBFCs at rbi.org.in before accepting any loan offer..

Morphed-image blackmail loses its power once you report it first — filing a cyber complaint creates an official record that neutralises the scammer's threat to your reputation.