Hounded, loan app victims turn each other’s support

Gurgaon: Rahul (name changed), a New Colony resident, became a victim of a Chinese loan app last year, and for a Rs 40,000 loan, he ended up paying nearly Rs 5 lakh. But the harassment did not stop even after he had sold his wife's jewellery, with Rahul reaching a point where he started thinking of ending his life. “Then I approached the police, who helped me get over such thoughts and started chasing the harassers,” said Rahul.
Recently, many people have fallen victim to Chinese loan apps that extend easy microloans at stiff interest rates. When Rahul shared his story on social media, he drew the attention of many other victims. Soon, the idea of forming a WhatsApp group had taken root. And at the beginning of this year, the Save Us Please group kicked off, which became a forum for victims of loan apps to give each other emotional support, legal and procedural advice on dealing with blackmailing and cyberbullying, or simply to vent.
“On the group, we share the contact numbers of loan app representatives and ask everyone to block those numbers,” said Rahul.
The group has connected nearly 400 people across India, including residents of Delhi and Gurgaon, since January.
A group member, Faizal (name changed) from Jharkhand, said whenever someone complains about loan app calls on the group, other members join the call and take on the caller. “We just vent out our anger and frustration,” said Faizal.
Nitin (name changed) from Nashik said the support group helped him after he fell victim to a loan app. “The continuous harassment pushed me to the lowest point in my life. I had no idea how to deal with it. The group provided me with emotional support when I needed it the most,” he said.
There are updates about actions taken against loan apps by different agencies and police on the group, which, said members, give them strength and confidence.
Another victim, Shalini (name changed) from Mumbai, faced difficult days when loan app callers threatened to share her morphed pictures. But thanks to continuous counselling from the group members, she is now in a better place. “It started with a small loan, but the continuous and never-ending harassment pushes a person to a point where there is no light, and all one can see is the end of everything,” said Shalini.
Taking advice from the group, she changed her number, which ended the harassment. She said her association with the group made her realise she is not alone and many people face similar problems. When together in trouble, it gives a sense of strength, said Shalini.
For Rahul, the loan app scam is "financial terrorism". He felt Indian agencies had not yet understood the gravity of the problem or the scale of operation of loan apps. “We keep telling everyone that taking a loan is no crime, but what these blackmailers are doing is a crime. We need to fight against these people instead of surrendering,” said Rahul. "The only way to deal with these people is to not surrender to their demands and pressure," he added.
The group has devised a five-point plan that they share with all new members to equip them to deal with the scamsters. First, they say, install Truecaller and avoid unknown numbers. Second, switch off the blue tick option in WhatsApp chat so loan app scammers cannot understand whether someone has read a message. Usually, they send messages before calling when they see the blue tick. Third, after falling victim to loan apps, put up a status message to inform everyone about hackers taking control of the mobile number and related accounts. Fourth, avoid calls and texts from and to blackmailers. And fifth, if possible, change the mobile number.