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Year: 2023

The dark world of illegal loan apps in India

The dark world of illegal loan apps in India

On August 12, a family in the central Indian city of Bhopal took a selfie in their home. After the photo, the father, Bhupendra Vishwakarma, gave his two sons, eight and three years old, a poisoned drink, and he and his wife took their lives by hanging themselves. In his four-page suicide note, Vishwakarma, 35, who worked in an insurance firm, wrote that he was trapped in a cycle of debt from loan apps. Recovery agents had been tormenting him for months and the last message he received from them tipped him over the edge. It said, “Tell him to repay the loan; otherwise, today I will strip him naked and upload it on social media.” In his suicide note, Vishwakarma said, “Today, the situation has reached the point of losing my job as well. I can’t see a future for myself and my family. I am no longer worthy of showing my face to anyone. How will I face my family?” Police have arrested five people involved in the scam so far even as the investigation continues. Vishwakarma’s story is not unique. Shivani Rawat, a 23-year-old college receptionist in Delhi, faced her own ordeal. In June 2023, she applied for a 4,000 rupee ($48) loan through an app called “Kreditbe”, since her salary was delayed. Her loan request remained pending, with no funds received. Yet, within a week, she began receiving 10-15 calls demanding 9,000 rupees ($108) for repayment. Rawat said she told the recovery agents that she hadn’t received any money in her account, “but they started using abusive language. When I stopped answering their calls, they began sending me abusive texts.” In August, her colleagues received manipulated explicit photos of her and her family that had been sent by representatives of Kreditbe. She tried to explain the situation to her coworkers, but the next day, her manager asked her to resign because her presence made others uncomfortable. “After losing my job, I became so depressed that I even had thoughts of ending my life,” Rawat admitted. Al Jazeera tried reaching out to Kreditbe for a comment but there was no information available on the firm and none of the representatives who had been in touch with Rawat were available any more. Bhupendra Vishwakarma took a selfie with his family before he died by suicide [Anil Kumar Tyagi/Al Jazeera] Kreditbe’s name is a rip-off of a legitimate loan app called KreditBee, a common modus operandi for these illegal loan apps which often choose names similar to reputable brands to create a sense of authenticity. Both Vishwakarma and Rawat had borrowed money from lending apps, which offer loans to users in a convenient, few clicks and without the extensive documentation that a traditional bank loan requires. The money is credited to the borrower’s account within a few minutes, unlike the five to seven days that a bank loan takes for borrowers who meet the high eligibility bar. These apps saw a rise in use during the pandemic as with many businesses shut or scaled back, a significant number of people were unemployed and in financial difficulties. The average loan tickets in these apps range between 10,000 rupees to 25,000 rupees ($120 to $300) with monthly interest rates of 20 percent to 30 percent and a processing fee that can be as much as 15 percent. Loan app representatives typically begin the recovery process 15 days after approving the loan. However, in many cases, they have been known to start harassing people just four to six days after disbursing the loan, and in Tiwari’s case, it was even before she actually received the loan. As per Akshay Bajpai, an independent cybersecurity expert in Bhopal, currently, more than 700 loan apps are operating in the country, some of which are Indian but the majority of which are Chinese-owned and hire Indians to run them. While some of them are outright frauds and use the promise of quick money to get fees from desperate loan seekers before disappearing in the night, others are in a grey area not just because of the malicious methods they employ to extort money from innocent people but also because they don’t follow the central bank rules on online lending including on the annual interest rate, various charges. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has also clearly said that no lending institution can store customer details except some minimal data such as the name, address and contact details of the customer. However, illegal apps access contact lists and pictures, edit them and use manipulated images to blackmail borrowers to recover money. According to a study conducted by CloudSek, a cybersecurity software company, between July 22, 2023, and September 18, 2023, their experts monitored 55 fraudulent loan apps that targeted individuals. Additionally, they identified more than 15 obscure payment gateways operated by individuals of Chinese origin who undertook those steps to evade detection. The Chinese loan apps also employ this modus operandi in Southeast Asia and some African nations, as well. In countries where people are less aware of cybersecurity and fraud, people become easy targets for such malicious activities. Creating fear Loan apps representatives harass borrowers with threatening and abusive messages and calls like these that Shivani Rawat received [Courtesy Shivani Rawat] “Scammers instil fear in the minds of their victims by employing various tactics. Initially, they may threaten to access the victim’s contact list and make calls. If the victim resists, they may infiltrate the victim’s photo gallery, manipulate images, and send them back,” explained Pravin Kalaiselvan, founder of SaveThem India, an NGO that spreads awareness about cybercrime. “This induces panic among the victims, ultimately leading them to comply with the scammers’ demands for money,” he added. In the last three years, Loan Consumer Association (LCA), a group of advocates and social workers focused on combating unethical recovery practices by banks and apps, has helped almost 1,800 people stuck in these illegal loan app traps both with counselling and help them file complaints with the

Bethlehem’s bombed-out nativity sculpture sends a powerful message

Bethlehem’s bombed-out nativity sculpture sends a powerful message

The scene of a devastated nativity cave symbolises the plight of Christ’s family — and Palestinians now. Bethlehem, occupied West Bank — This year, Bethlehem is sombre and quiet. There is no Christmas tree and there are no holiday lights or tourists to see them. Instead, the city of Jesus’s birth – which is in the middle of a war zone – is marking Christmas with a powerful and poignant message: solidarity with Palestine. The Holy Family Cave is a sculpture that depicts a harrowing tableau: a bombed-out version of the traditional nativity cave, which many Christians traditionally believe is where Jesus was born in Bethlehem. It is the site now of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The new mural draws a comparison with the journey of Christ and his family, when they had to flee Bethlehem under an oppressive ruler to Egypt, before returning to Nazareth two millennia ago. The bombed-out nativity scene is surrounded by rubble and barbed wire [Monjed Jadou/Al Jazeera] Surrounded by rubble and barbed wire, the Virgin Mary embraces the baby Jesus, while Joseph embraces her, offering solace. On one side of the family, the Magi holds out a white shroud. On the other side, the fourth shepherd carries a bag, a symbol of Palestinian displacement. Angels, suspended around the rubble, represent the souls of children who have been victims of massacres on Palestinian land throughout history: the murder of children in Bethlehem by Herod at the birth of Jesus; various colonial attacks against the Palestinian people and their ancestors; and current massacres by Israel in Gaza. Around the scene, multilingual panels call for a ceasefire and an end to the massacre against the Palestinian people. Hana Hanania, the mayor of Bethlehem, said the sculpture aims to showcase Palestinian suffering everywhere. Churches, clergy and civilians in Gaza are being bombarded, and a blockade is enforced in the West Bank, particularly in Bethlehem. The fourth shepherd carries a bag, symbolising Palestinian displacement [Monjed Jadou/Al Jazeera] The sculpture, with its political, religious, and national symbolism, draws a comparison between what happened more than 2,000 years ago and what is happening today, she said. Just as Christ was tortured and children were killed by King Herod then, today, children and women are being slaughtered in a clear act of genocide. The cave’s roof is a geographical map of Gaza. Its shape, together with a depiction of an explosion, form a star, inspired by the Star of Bethlehem that led the Magi to Jesus’s birth. This conveys a message of hope. The artist, Tarek Salsaa, explained that the scene cannot fully express the immense destruction and systematic genocide against the Palestinian people by the Israeli occupation. What Palestine is going through today is reminiscent of the years of colonialism, with all its allies throughout the ages and various historical epochs, he added. “Christmas approaches this year, and we find ourselves living in the most challenging and difficult circumstances, a result of what our people in the besieged Gaza Strip and in all cities, villages, and camps of the West Bank and Jerusalem are enduring due to the Israeli continuous aggression against our people, said Rula Maayaa, the Palestinian Authority’s minister of tourism and antiquities. “As we launch this symbolic initiative in Bethlehem … our people are confident that the message of Christmas, sent by the messenger of peace, will triumph over injustice and tyranny,” Maayaa said. People light candles near the installation [Monjed Jadou/Al Jazeera] We are in a constant state of mourning, especially during the days of mourning for the martyrs, said Father Ibrahim Feltz, the deputy custodian of the Holy Lands. “We have not witnessed such a scene in the square, and we have not seen the city in this condition. Bethlehem has never been sad like this before.” Adblock test (Why?)

Serbia police fire tear gas as opposition backers demand election annulled

Serbia police fire tear gas as opposition backers demand election annulled

President Aleksandar Vucic condemns ‘attempted violent takeover’ amid protests over alleged election fraud. Riot police in Serbia have fired tear gas and pepper spray at opposition supporters demanding the annulment of elections marred by claims of widespread fraud. Hundreds of protesters attempted to storm Belgrade City Hall on Sunday evening during demonstrations against the results of parliamentary and local elections on December 17, which international observers say were marred by vote buying, ballot stuffing and the improper influence of President Aleksandar Vucic. Opposition supporters, some chanting, “Vucic thief” and “Vucic is Putin”, used flagpoles and rocks to break windows as they tried to break into the capital’s administrative building but were repelled by riot police. Vucic’s ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) were returned to power with a parliamentary majority after winning nearly 47 percent of the votes, according to preliminary results announced by electoral authorities. The centre-left opposition alliance Serbia Against Violence received 23.56 percent of the vote, followed by the Socialist Party of Serbia with 6.56 percent, according to electoral authorities. Serbia Against Violence has claimed it was the rightful winner, especially in Belgrade, where there were reports of non-residents being recruited to vote. In a letter earlier this week, Serbia Against Violence told European Union institutions, officials and member nations that it would not recognise the outcome and called on the bloc to do the same as well as to initiate an investigation. “Police are everywhere, also on the roofs. It is obvious that they do not want to recognise [the] election results,” said Serbia Against Violence leader Nebojsa Zelenovic. “We will continue with our fight.” Vucic has rejected opposition calls to rerun the vote, blasting claims of irregularities as blatant “lies”. In an address aired by pro-government Pink TV on Sunday, Vucic said the protests were “not a revolution” and those seeking to destabilise the state would not succeed. “This was an attempted violent takeover of the state institutions of the Republic of Serbia,” Vucic said, while claiming there was evidence that “everything was prepared in advance” with assistance from abroad. The Serbian leader said more than 35 people were arrested and more would follow. “Nobody has the right to destroy our house, to destroy the property of our country and our citizens, not to mention causing serious injuries to our police officers,” Vucic said. Vucic and his party were rattled by antigovernment protests in May, which began as demonstrations against back-to-back mass shootings that killed 18 people, including nine children, before morphing into a broader antigovernment movement taking aim at issues such as rising inflation and perceived government corruption. Adblock test (Why?)

How can aid get to Palestinians as Israel bombs Gaza?

How can aid get to Palestinians as Israel bombs Gaza?

UN Security Council votes to allow more supplies, but Israel’s bombardment and ground offensive go on. Hundreds more have been killed in Gaza since Friday’s UN Security Council vote for more aid. What practical impact will the resolution have? And how can aid get to 2.3 million people living under constant attack among destroyed infrastructure – in a live battle zone? Presenter: Dareen Abughaida Guests: Mansour Shouman – Resident of Gaza and a human rights advocate Ahmed Bayram – Regional Media and Communications Adviser at the Norwegian Refugee Council Lex Takkenberg – Senior adviser with Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development, and former Chief of Ethics at UNRWA Adblock test (Why?)