Mobile numbers, fake papers and fake staff: How a gang cheated banks and loan seekers

The main accused, Pradeep Maurya, has previous cases of cheating registered against him as well. Maurya would allegedly promise to help people financially in return for a hefty commission. Promising them credit cards or home loans, he would submit to banks fake documents on behalf of the victims without their knowledge.

The police found that Maurya had allegedly made fake documents including income tax returns showing high earnings. Once a victim received a credit card from a bank, he paid Rs 3.5 lakh for it, according to the police. Maurya then offered to get him a home loan and asked for a Rs 99,000 commission.

Later the victim came to know that that Maurya had misused his Aadhaar card, PAN card and other details to get a loan. However, the victim got no home loan. Nor did the accused return the money.

A case was then registered at the Agripada police station and the investigation was handed over to crime branch (unit III). Among the accused, arrested from the Bhandup, Mulund, Kurla and Wadala areas, are three women.

The police said the gang misled bank officials by creating fake documents about various businesses running from the same rented commercial premises and in the names of people looking for loans. The accused would submit the fake documents to various banks for obtaining loans.

The police found that the accused would also get new SIM cards using documents provided by the victims. In the bank applications, the same numbers would be mentioned. The accused would keep the numbers with them and when the bank called to verify details regarding documents submitted by them, the accused would confirm them.

When bank officials would reach office premises to confirm if they belonged to the applicants, the accused would have a woman posing as an employee and she would then confirm the addresses.

“In this manner the accused would cheat the bank without the knowledge of the victim and obtain a loan,” an officer said. Once the credit card reached the victim, the accused would take it from him to charge their commission. “The accused had obtained several swiping machines and would swipe these credit cards for large sums. For obtaining a loan of Rs 5 lakh, he would seek Rs 1.5 lakh as commission,” said Deepak Surve, in charge of crime branch (unit III).

Surve said the police suspected many such people had been duped in a similar manner by the accused. “We request people to not fall prey to such people who promise credit cards and home loans by using fake documents,” he added.