Visakhapatnam Police bust loan app scam; 16 arrested

The Visakhapatnam Police have uncovered a gang participating in a big loan app scam operation to trap innocent people in debt. City Police Commissioner Shankhabrata Bagchi announced during a press meeting on Sunday, 27 April, that 16 individuals assisting the gang had been arrested.

The case came to light after a tragic incident last year, where a Visakhapatnam resident, after borrowing and repaying Rs 3,200 through a loan app, continued to face harassment from cybercriminals. Unable to bear the mental torture, he ended his life. Following a complaint filed by the victim’s wife, the Cybercrime Police launched an investigation.

WhatsApp Clues Lead to Breakthrough

Upon examining the victim’s WhatsApp messages, investigators traced the threats to a Pakistani IP address. They also discovered that the financial transactions involved bank accounts based in Assam and Gujarat. Acting swiftly, police teams were dispatched to these places, leading to the arrest of six individuals responsible for opening these accounts.

In a related operation, an individual from Kurnool was apprehended. During interrogation, he confessed to providing cybercriminals with access to thirty bank accounts and earning Rs 12 lakh for his involvement.

Further leads pointed to another person from Eluru, who, upon questioning, provided information that led to the arrest of a man from Hyderabad, along with seven accomplices. Investigations revealed that the man from Hyderabad was the key player in the operation.

He had been introduced via the Telegram app to two foreign nationals, identified as Hunt and Andy, who specialize in running loan scams. They promised him a commission of Rs 1.60 lakh for every crore routed through the bank accounts he could supply. Motivated by this, the main accused, with the help of his associates, managed to open 132 bank accounts under the names of unsuspecting individuals. These accounts were then handed over to the foreign handlers.

Rs 200 Crore Moved Through Fraudulent Accounts

Police investigations revealed that transactions amounting to nearly Rs 200 crore were routed through the 132 accounts. The key accused in the loan app scam uncovered by Visakhapatnam police reportedly earned a commission of Rs 4.5 crore by selling these accounts.

Moreover, the examination of mobile phones belonging to some of the accused uncovered cryptocurrency assets worth Rs 60 lakh, which were seized with the help of specialized hardware, Commissioner Bagchi added.

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