Loan scam: Fraudster posing as NGO representative dupes Hyderabad man of Rs 7.90 lakh

Hyderabad, Oct 14 (IANS) A resident of Hyderabad was duped to the tune of Rs 7.90 lakh by a cyber fraudster posing as a representative of an NGO.

According to police, a 30-year-old resident of Begumpet became a victim of a loan scam after receiving a WhatsApp call from a person with a DP of Salman Khan, a social activist who is the founder of Hyderabad Youth Courage (HYC).

The caller falsely informed him that a loan of Rs 50 lakh had been sanctioned in his name and asked him to pay Rs 10 lakh towards processing and other charges. Believing the offer to be genuine, the victim transferred Rs 7,90,000 from accounts of his known contacts to bank accounts provided by the fraudster.

When he requested disbursement of the loan amount, the fraudster demanded an additional Rs 30,000, assuring that the full Rs 10 lakh would then be returned. At this point, the victim realised he was being cheated and stopped further payments and reported the fraud.

Cybercrime Police have advised people not to trust unsolicited WhatsApp calls or messages offering loans from NGOs or unknown sources. “Avoid transferring money upfront for processing fees, taxes, or other charges without verifying the organisation. Do not fall for claims of “sanctioned loans” if you haven’t applied officially through a registered lender or financial institution,” it said.

People have also been urged to be cautious of emotional manipulation and urgency, like "last chance to claim loan" or "offer ends today".

Check for red flags like celebrity photos in WhatsApp profiles or suspicious bank account details. Verify NGO or financial organisation details through official government portals or registered websites, it said.

Meanwhile, HYC founder and president Salman Khan has filed his nomination for the Jubilee Hills by-election as an independent candidate.

The social activist, who was accompanied by his friend Mohammed Ayub, accused the Congress and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) parties of cheating Muslims. He alleged that both parties had ignored demands for burial lands for several years.

Khan also alleged that graveyards and religious structures like chillas and ashoorkhanas were demolished in Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s constituency, Kodangal.

Both Khan and Ayub were booked in different cases of misappropriation of funds collected through crowdfunding. However, they denied the accusations and claimed that the cases were politically motivated.

--IANS

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