Risky loan apps may request contacts, photos, SMS, location, and storage access, then use that data for harassment, hidden fees, and repayment pressure.
Some abusive apps use contacts for pressure and harassment. A legitimate loan process should not need broad contact-list access.
Should I pay a processing fee before receiving the loan?
Be very cautious. Upfront fee demands from unknown loan apps are a common scam and abuse pattern.
The app is threatening to send edited photos to my contacts. What do I do?
Do not pay. Blackmail escalates with payment. Revoke the app’s permissions, uninstall it, preserve evidence, warn close contacts, and report at cybercrime.gov.in and 1930. Morphed-image extortion is a crime.
How do I check if a loan app is RBI approved?
Look for the regulated lender behind the app. Real lending apps name their NBFC or bank partner, and RBI publishes lists of registered NBFCs. No named lender means no loan, only data theft.
Can they really access my contacts and gallery?
If you granted permissions during install, yes. That access is the actual product of the scam, used later for harassment and blackmail. Revoke permissions and uninstall immediately.