Last updated on March 1, 2024
Kanishka, a single mom working hard, took a break from her busy life by browsing Facebook. She felt stressed about bills she couldn’t pay due to tough times caused by the economic crisis. Then she saw a post on Facebook, offering quick and interest-free loans, exactly what she needed. Despite feeling unsure, she clicked the link and messaged the contact person named Samitha from the loan services.
Hello, this is Samitha from Quick Loan Services. How can I help you? replied the person.
They talked briefly, and Kanishka agreed to the terms, ignoring her doubts. She shared her personal information and hoped for the financial help she needed.
Days went by, and Kanishka’s hope faded. Samitha’s replies were late, citing delays and issues. Finally, money appeared in her bank account, giving her relief.
But when she began repaying, the loan installments unexpectedly increased, making it hard for her to manage. Kanishka contacted Samitha about the issue.
Kanishka: Hi Mr. Samitha, even though you mentioned that the loan installments wouldn’t have interest, the payments have increased significantly compared to the initial two months. This doesn’t align with our agreement, and I’m facing financial challenges. Could you please recheck and provide the accurate amount? Additionally, I might need a couple of months to gather enough funds to manage the remaining balance as installments.
Kanishka didn’t get a helpful response.
Instead, Samitha threatened to post embarrassing pictures of Kanishka on Facebook with hateful captions mentioning that she would not be able to step out of her house. Sadly, he followed through, causing Kanishka a lot of shame and distress.
Kanishka felt helpless as her elder son’s teachers and parents questioned her about this incident. She hardly knew what to do.
Kanishka sought advice from Hithawathi, suggested by one of the parents at her son’s school who understood Kanishka’s situation.
Hithawathi advised her to report the hateful content on Facebook. Furthermore, Hithawathi instructed her to get back in touch if reporting thru the app failed and also seek legal help by filing a police complaint about the scam.
Kanishka thanked Hithawathi for the support provided during that tough time.
Precaution Tips:
- Online loans consist of high risks. They may require permission to certain apps on your phone and misuse them.
- Vigilance and verification are important when dealing with financial transactions on social media platforms or the internet.
- Keep your social media profiles private, limited to trusted friends.
- Do not share sensitive personal, banking, financial details with any third-party personnel.
- Cybercriminal complaints that are clearly mentioned with relevant evidence (links, screenshots, etc.) can be handed over to the CID, or sent to “The Director, Criminal Investigation Department, Colombo 01” by registered post. Additionally, you have the option of emailing the same via dir.ccid@police.gov.lk / report@cid.police.gov.lk.