Peshawar Circle of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), the federal body that investigates online crime, has dismantled an illegal loan app network operating from Shangla and arrested two suspects accused of blackmailing thousands of citizens. An NCCIA spokesperson said the agency has stepped up action against unlawful lending apps, and that this operation formed part of that drive.
How the alleged fraud worked
According to the spokesperson, the suspects used fake loan apps available on the Google Play Store. Small loans were offered as bait. Once installed, the apps were used to obtain access to a person's contact list and photo gallery.
Victims and their families, relatives and acquaintances were then bombarded with calls and messages. The pressure, the agency said, was aimed at extracting large sums of money. The case has been registered under the PECA Act 2016 — Pakistan's main law on electronic crimes.
Devices and data recovered
Investigators recovered more than 30 laptops and mobile phones. They also took into custody citizens' data, call detail records (CDRs — logs of who called whom and when) and records of contacts. Technical examination of the seized devices is continuing, the spokesperson said.
Warning for the public
The NCCIA urged people not to install unknown loan apps and not to grant those apps access to their contacts. The agency framed the Shangla arrests as part of wider efforts against illegal lending platforms that exploit personal data for harassment and fraud.
Further details on the identity of the suspects, the exact sums extracted, or how many victims have been identified have not been released. What is confirmed so far is the Shangla network's exposure, the two arrests, the seizure of over 30 devices and related records, and the PECA case now under investigation.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Peshawar ke cyber police ne Shangla mein ek ghalat loan app network pakra hai. Do log giraftar hue hain jin par ilzaam hai ke unhon ne hazaron logon ko dhamki de kar paisa maanga. Fake loan apps lagwa kar contacts aur photos access kiye jate the, phir ghar walon ko calls aur messages se tang kiya jata tha. Anjan loan apps na lagayein aur unhein apni contact list mat dein.
