Google Play Store removes 3 fake loan apps:Such platforms steal personal info, harass users – how to choose a safe app

On the complaint of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Google has removed 3 more fake loan apps from the Play Store. So far this month, 9 such fraudulent apps have been shut down. These apps not only steal your personal information but also demand exorbitant interest after providing loans and harass users. Through this QA guide, learn easy ways to avoid fake loan apps and stay safe… Question 1. Which 3 new loan apps has the government taken action against, and what are the allegations against them? Answer: The Ministry of Home Affairs’ cyber security team (I4C) sent a notice to Google on August 19, asking for the immediate removal of 3 fake loan apps. The names of these 3 apps are: Horizon Cash Service, Money Score Monitor, and JellyCredit. It is alleged that these apps lured people by promising loans in 5 minutes at low interest rates and later extorted heavy interest and penalties from them. Question 2. What personal information were these apps stealing from mobile phones? Answer: As soon as a user downloaded these apps onto their phone, these apps would secretly steal all the information from the phone. This included identity documents, bank account-related information, the contact list present on the phone (numbers of relatives and friends), the photo gallery, and access to the camera. Later, these fraudsters would use this information to blackmail people. Question 3. How quickly did Google take action on these apps and under which rule were they removed? Answer: Within just 3 hours of receiving the notice from the government agency, Google was ordered to remove these three apps from the Play Store. This action was taken under the sections of the Information Technology Act. Complying with the government’s order immediately, Google has removed these three apps from the Play Store. Question 4. Has action been taken against any other such apps this month? Answer: Yes, prior to this, on August 7th, the government had also asked Google to remove 6 fake loan apps. The names of those apps were: Loan Orbit, Hisab, Nexx Loan, One Fund, Credit Factor, and Mobile Credit. This means that in August alone, a total of 9 apps that were preying on common people have been shut down. Question 5. How do these fake apps trap people? Answer: These apps run advertisements on the Google Play Store and social media. The advertisements state: “Get a loan of ₹50,000 in 5 minutes without any documents or CIBIL score.” People who are in need or under pressure fall for these advertisements and download the apps. Question 6. Is the government taking any action against other fake websites besides loan apps? Answer: Yes, the government is now taking action against fraudulent websites on the internet along with loan apps. This month, the government issued instructions to shut down about 57 fake websites and databases running on Google’s Firebase server. These websites were spreading viruses on people’s phones to steal their bank account information. Question 7. How to identify real and fake apps before taking money from any loan app? Answer: If you ever need to take an online loan, identify it using these 3 easy methods: Check RBI approval: Any genuine loan app is linked to some registered bank or NBFC. The name of that bank or company is definitely mentioned in the app’s details. Verify on the RBI website: Go to the RBI website and check if the company is registered. Genuine companies have a permanent office, landline number, and email ID. Question 8. What things should be kept in mind while downloading apps on a phone? Answer: Always keep these 4 things in mind for security: Question 9. What should one do if they accidentally fall into the trap of a fake app? Answer: If a fake app is harassing you, take these steps immediately: What are I4C and government regulations?
Important advice for you: Never grant permission to any unknown app to access your mobile contact list or photo gallery, lured by the promise of money.