The West Bengal Police on Sunday cautioned the public against a loan fraud racket operating on social media by misusing the name and photographs of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Fraudsters have been circulating advertisements and videos on platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp, falsely claiming to offer instant loans without a CIBIL score under so-called government-approved schemes, a senior police officer said.
According to police, victims are being lured into clicking suspicious links or downloading apps, after which they are asked to share Aadhaar, PAN, bank account details and one-time passwords.
In some cases, they are also asked to pay an advance fee. Once money is transferred, all communication is abruptly stopped, the officer added.
“This is a completely fake and fraudulent scheme. No such loan programme has been announced or approved by the Chief Minister or the state government,” the West Bengal Police said in a statement.
Police advised people not to click on unknown links, install unfamiliar applications, or share sensitive personal and banking information with unverified sources.
Those who have fallen victim to the fraud have been asked to contact the cybercrime helpline number 1930 or lodge a complaint on the state cybercrime portal. An investigation is underway, and strict legal action will be taken against those involved, police said.
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