Mumbai Man Loses ₹56 Lakh to Online Loan Scammers Using Morphed Photos

A 23-year-old man from Nanded lost over ₹56 lakh to online scammers after applying for a ₹60,000 loan through a mobile app in March 2025. Though he repaid the loan within eight days, the cybercriminals later demanded additional payment. When he refused and provided proof of repayment, they gained access to his phone gallery and created obscene morphed images of him and his family members.

Using threats of social defamation, the scammers coerced the victim into making 255 separate bank transfers over 18 months until September 2026. They contacted him repeatedly through untraceable mobile numbers, escalating their blackmail by morphing photos of his friends and relatives. The harassment depleted his family's entire savings.

Mumbai cyber police have registered a case against the perpetrators under relevant sections. The incident highlights growing risks of loan app frauds where cybercriminals exploit permissions granted during app installation to access personal data and launch extortion campaigns.