13 arrested in Delhi for fraudulent loan offers with low interest rates

Thirteen people have been arrested for allegedly cheating individuals in Delhi by promising them loans at low-interest rates, according to officials.

They said that a total of 13 individuals, including three women and the owner of the call centre identified as Puneet, have been apprehended for their alleged involvement in cheating people through deceptive loan schemes.
The officials revealed that the call centre had been operating for the past two years and had managed to swindle approximately Rs 2 crore from individuals across the country by posing as finance company representatives.
The breakthrough came after the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer), Harendra Singh, received a tip-off about the illicit activities being conducted at the Mangolpuri call centre.

Acting swiftly on the information, a raid was conducted on Thursday, leading to the apprehension of the 13 suspects and the subsequent dismantling of the fake call centre.
During the investigation, it was discovered that Puneet had fraudulently registered a fictitious company called “Mahalaxmi Finance” on the popular ‘Sulekha’ App, which serves as a digital platform for local businesses. Taking advantage of the platform, Puneet and his associates began receiving inquiries from individuals seeking loans. Exploiting the access to multiple mobile numbers obtained through the app, the suspects would make outgoing calls and entice people by offering them loans at remarkably low-interest rates.

The modus operandi of the fraudsters involved collecting processing fees and file charges from the unsuspecting victims. Once the payments were made, the culprits would cease all communication with the individuals seeking loans, leaving them defrauded and without any financial assistance. To further perpetrate their crimes, the accused had opened numerous bank accounts and utilized different SIM cards to deceive their victims effectively.

The swift action taken by the Delhi Police has not only resulted in the arrest of the individuals responsible for operating the fake call centre but also serves as a reminder to remain cautious while dealing with financial transactions. The case highlights the need for continued vigilance and awareness among the public to avoid falling victim to such fraudulent schemes, said the officials. (With inputs from PTI)