Finfluencer Anupam Gupta Falls Victim to Loan Fraud, Receives Calls to Repay Unborrowed Money
Finfluencer Anupam Gupta Falls Victim to Loan Fraud, Receives Calls to Repay Unborrowed Money
Anupam Gupta, a renowned financial influencer and chartered accountant, recently found himself at the center of a disturbing trend – identity theft and loan fraud. Gupta revealed that his personal information was exploited to secure a loan without his knowledge, leading to persistent harassment from collection agents seeking repayment.
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The incident sheds light on the pervasive issue of identity theft and financial fraud in today’s digital age, even affecting individuals well-versed in financial matters like Gupta.
According to Gupta, his name and address were used to obtain a ₹30,000 personal loan from Lendbox, an online peer lending platform. He began receiving calls and WhatsApp messages from collection agents representing MobiKwik, demanding repayment of the loan.
Despite his protests and denials of any loan involvement, Gupta was met with refusal from the agents, who even provided him with a UPI number allegedly associated with the loan, which Gupta insisted did not belong to him. Frustrated by the situation, Gupta filed a police complaint.
In hindsight, Gupta lamented his oversight in ignoring a CIBIL notification received a month prior, alerting him to a loan taken using his credentials. He emphasized the importance of promptly addressing such notifications to prevent further complications.
In response to Gupta’s ordeal, MobiKwik temporarily halted all loan-related communication and assured him of resolving the issue. They later issued a statement attributing the incident to compromised credentials and affirmed that the matter had been satisfactorily resolved.
The incident underscores the growing prevalence of online frauds and scams targeting unsuspecting individuals. As India’s digital landscape continues to evolve, it becomes imperative for both individuals and financial institutions to remain vigilant and implement robust security measures to safeguard against such fraudulent activities.
MobiKwik spokesperson told Pune Pulse, “India’s digital evolution has set benchmarks worldwide. The flip side has been a surge in online spams and cyber frauds. At MobiKwik, we have implemented stringent security measures to combat cyber frauds. We continue strengthening our security systems to align with our rapidly evolving product portfolio and fast transforming digital ecosystem. In this particular incident, the customer was a victim of compromised credentials. The response team reached out to the customer to understand and manage the issue. It was able to resolve the issue timely and to the customer’s satisfaction. This has been acknowledged by the customer as well.”
