Major Bust: Loan-Based Blackmail Racket Extorting Crores Using Nude Photos and Deepfake Videos of Women
New Delhi:
A highly alarming case of fraud and blackmail under the guise of offering loans has come to light in India. A criminal gang is operating through a fraudulent loan app named *Rishfin*, ensnaring unsuspecting individuals and misusing their personal information and documents. The gang specifically targets women, blackmailing them using compromising photos and deepfake videos.
How Does This Fraudulent Gang Operate?
Investigations reveal that this fake app lures people with the promise of loans payable in easy installments.
* *Small Loans, Exorbitant Recovery:* The gang promises a loan of ₹5,500 but transfers only ₹3,000 to the customer’s account. Despite this, at the time of repayment, they demand the full ₹5,500 plus exorbitant interest.
* *Data Theft:* During the loan application process, the app gains access to the user’s phone (contacts, gallery, etc.), allowing the gang to steal personal photos and documents.
Extortion via Nude Photos and Deepfakes
If a victim is unable to repay the loan or interest on time, the gang resorts to extreme cruelty. They manipulate the victims’ photos to create *nude images and deepfake videos*. They then extort lakhs of rupees by threatening to circulate these obscene videos among the victim’s relatives and friends, or to make them viral on social media. ### Warning for the Administration
Cyber ​​experts and analysts believe that if strict legal action is not taken against such gangs in a timely manner, they will become further entrenched, and the situation could spiral out of control in the future.
Security Advice:
* Avoid any such unknown or fraudulent loan apps (e.g., Rishfin).
* Do not grant access to your photos, videos, or contacts to any unknown app on your smartphone.
* If you fall victim to such cyber fraud, immediately file a complaint at [cybercrime.gov.in](https://www.cybercrime.gov.in).
