Repeated harassing calls from Pakistani numbers, threats to circulate morphed nude images to contacts were among the coercive tactics used by a cybercriminal targeting hundreds of individuals who had taken small loans through various mobile applications.
The accused was identified as Isaki Rajan Thevar (29), a Mumbai resident, hailing from Tamil Nadu.
He was arrested by the Pimpri Chinchwad Cyber Crime Police and was found to have links to international operatives based in Singapore and China.
An FIR in the case was registered at Cyber Crime police station of Pimpri Chinchwad police based on a complaint by a resident of Mahalunge.
The complainant had received a message from an unidentified number offering a personal loan. Because the complainant needed money, he took a loan of Rs 5,000.
According to the complainant, in the following days, he received dozens of calls from unidentified numbers with Pakistan country code +92, demanding the loan to be paid back with interest.
The caller threatened the man and coerced him into transferring Rs 9,000 as part of the loan repayment and continued to demand more money.
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The caller later asked the complainant to pay Rs 15,000 more and threatened to release his morphed nude images to the people in his contact list.
Probe has revealed that through the loan app that the complainant was tricked into downloading, the accused gained access to his contacts and photos while seeking initial permission at the time of installation of the app.
When the complainant refused to pay Rs 15,000, morphed nude photos of the victim were sent to people in his contact list.
He then approached the cyber crime cell.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Shivaji Pawar had formed an investigation team comprising Inspector Ravikiran Nale, Assistant Inspector Praveen Swami and Sub Inspectors Sagar Poman and Prakash Katkade.
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The team started looking into the application that the complainant was made to download on his phone.
The team found out that the application had been developed and operated by some suspects in Mumbai. The team soon got a location of the suspect.
Earlier this week, the police arrested Isaki Rajan Thevar, who was living at Vashi near Mumbai. A sweep of electronic objects has revealed that he had been operating at least seven fraudulent loan applications.
“These applications used to get access to photos and contacts of the user at the time of downloading. This information was later misused to extort money from the victims manyfolds more than the initial small loan amount,” said DCP Shivaji Pawar.
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“Investigations have revealed the arrested suspect was in contact with handlers from Singapore and China and was creating and operating these fake loan apps at the behest of these international handlers,” DCP Pawar said.
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