Delhi Police has arrested a 24-year-old man from Punjab for his alleged role in a digital loan fraud racket that used stolen Aadhaar and PAN details to obtain personal loans in the names of unsuspecting victims. Investigators believe the syndicate has targeted around 50 people and fraudulently secured loans worth nearly Rs 1.6 crore.
The arrest was made by the Cyber Police Station in Rohini after a victim approached police on June 25 claiming he was receiving repeated calls from a loan recovery agent demanding EMI payments for a loan he had never taken.
When the complainant checked his CIBIL report, he found that a personal loan of Rs 4.5 lakh had been sanctioned in his name by a private finance company using his PAN card. Police also found that the mobile number linked to his Aadhaar had been changed without his knowledge, making the fraud possible. An FIR was registered and an investigation was launched.
During the probe, investigators traced the loan amount to a bank account belonging to Ajay Kumar, a resident of Mohali in Punjab. Police said the accused had withdrawn the money in cash. Acting on technical surveillance and intelligence inputs, the team arrested him and recovered a mobile phone allegedly used in the crime.
According to police, forensic analysis of the phone revealed that the complainant’s personal details had been shared between the accused and his associates before the loan was processed, indicating his involvement in the fraud.
During questioning, the accused allegedly disclosed that he was part of a network that used the identity documents of victims to secure loans from private finance companies. The loan amounts were routed through bank accounts of people who agreed to let their accounts be used in exchange for a commission.
Police said the racket also involved changing the mobile numbers linked to victims’ Aadhaar cards without their knowledge. Once control over the Aadhaar linked mobile number was obtained, the syndicate allegedly misused Aadhaar and PAN details to complete digital loan applications.
Speaking to NDTV Rohini DCP Shashank Jaiswal said the investigation has revealed that the syndicate is much larger than initially believed. So far, Aadhaar and PAN details of nearly 50 victims have allegedly been misused to obtain loans worth around Rs 1.6 crore from a private non banking finance company. He urged people to avoid sharing personal identity documents on unknown websites and to use only trusted government portals or verified platforms while submitting sensitive information.
Cyber law expert Pawan Duggal said such frauds are becoming more common because data protection measures are not being implemented effectively. He said the incomplete implementation of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 and weak compliance with KYC and data protection standards by several service providers have created opportunities for cybercriminals to exploit personal information.
Delhi Police said efforts are underway to identify other members of the syndicate, trace additional mule bank accounts and find more victims who may have been targeted using the same method. Further investigation is in progress.
