In a distressing incident, a woman seeking a Rs 13 lakh education loan for her son was deceived by Shailender Dabral, who promised assistance in the loan process. Instead, she ended up losing Rs 39 lakh, three times the intended loan amount. The Delhi Police, acting on a complaint received through the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal, arrested Dabral in the Rohini area.

The victim, in need of an education loan, had approached Sulekha.com. However, she fell victim to a broker, Nakul (later identified as Dabral), who had acquired “loan leads” from the website. Nakul assured the woman that he could help secure a loan from R.S. Enterprises, a financial company.

Subsequently, Nakul requested various processing fees, such as loan application fees, document verification, loan approval, advance EMI, and NPCI approval. The victim, trusting Nakul’s assurances, made online payments totaling Rs 39 lakh through over 70 transactions in two months.

The police, upon investigation, recovered four mobile phones from Dabral, which he had used for the fraudulent activities. DCP G S Sidhu disclosed that Dabral, previously a loan agent, obtained loan leads from Sulekha.com and contacted potential customers. To gain their trust, he collected documents using the WeFast app. Once trust was established, he would ask victims to deposit money under the guise of processing fees.

While Dabral has been apprehended, the police continue their investigations, seeking to identify additional victims of this deceptive scheme. The incident underscores the need for vigilance in online transactions and the importance of verifying the authenticity of individuals offering financial services.

Also read: PTI

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