The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cybercrime Wing has initiated a probe into mobile applications offering loans following the tragic suicide of an unemployed man unable to repay his loan interest.
FIA sources informed about a Rawalpindi resident’s suicide prompted by alleged blackmail from an online loan application’s operators.
Upon learning of the incident, FIA’s Director General, Mohsin Hasan Butt, demanded a progress report from the Cyber Crime Wing and instructed the apprehension of the accused parties. In response, the FIA team conducted raids on two loan app offices in the G-8 sector, seizing laptops and other materials and closing the premises.
Adopting Strict Measures against Exploitation
The FIA is liaising with the Security Exchange Commission to gather more information about the app company. Plans are also underway to block the company’s online advertisements. The Director General has ordered stringent action against those exploiting citizens under the guise of loans.
An FIA official stated that the Cyber Crime Circle in Rawalpindi launched an investigation into the incident at the request of the victim’s family members. Efforts are being made to obtain records of the calls and emails sent to the victim by the accused company, along with ownership data.
An FIA spokesperson pledged to develop effective strategies with stakeholder collaboration to avert such future incidents. The spokesperson further advised citizens who experience harassment from loan apps to report their complaints at the nearest cyber crime circle.