Google has removed three loan applications from the Play Store following a complaint from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), amid a wider crackdown on fraudulent digital lending platforms accused of misusing users’ personal information and harassing borrowers.

The three apps — Horizon Cash Service, Money Score Monitor and JellyCredit — were flagged by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), the cyber-security unit under the MHA. According to the information provided, the government sought their removal on August 19. Google subsequently took action against the apps.

The latest action takes the number of alleged fraudulent loan apps removed following government intervention this month to nine. Earlier, six other apps — Loan Orbit, Hisab, Nexx Loan, One Fund, Credit Factor and Mobile Credit — were also targeted.

How fake loan apps trap users

Fraudulent loan apps often attract users by promising quick loans with minimal documentation. Advertisements may claim that borrowers can receive amounts such as ₹50,000 within minutes without a CIBIL score or extensive paperwork.

Once installed, some malicious apps may seek access to sensitive information stored on a smartphone. This can include contact lists, photographs, identity documents and financial information.

Such access can create serious privacy and security risks. The information may subsequently be misused to threaten, intimidate or blackmail borrowers, particularly when they fail to meet demands for excessive interest or penalties.

Check lender before taking loan

Consumers should verify the company behind a loan application before submitting personal or financial information.

A legitimate digital lending application should be associated with a regulated bank or Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC). Borrowers should check the lender's identity and verify its regulatory status through official Reserve Bank of India (RBI) resources rather than relying only on information displayed inside an app.

Users should also check whether the lender provides verifiable contact details and a physical business presence.

Avoid unnecessary app permissions

One of the biggest warning signs is an app asking for access to information that is not required for its stated purpose.

A loan application requesting access to a user's entire contact list, photo gallery or other unrelated data should be treated cautiously. Users should review permissions before installation and deny access that is unnecessary.

If an application continues to demand excessive permissions, uninstalling it is a safer option.

Never pay suspicious upfront charges

Users should also be cautious if an unknown loan application demands money before disbursing a loan, particularly under labels such as processing fees or file charges.

Unexpected upfront payments, unusually high interest rates, pressure tactics and promises of instant loans without proper verification can all be warning signs of a fraudulent lending operation.

Borrowers should carefully examine the lender's terms and conditions before accepting any loan.

Don't install APKs from unknown links

Cyber-security experts regularly advise users to avoid downloading applications through links received in unsolicited SMS messages, WhatsApp chats, emails or social media posts.

Unknown APK files can potentially contain malicious software capable of compromising a device or stealing sensitive information.

Users should download applications only through trusted sources and verify the developer and lender before entering financial or personal details.

What to do if you are targeted

If someone has already installed a suspicious loan app or is being threatened by people claiming to represent such an application, they should preserve evidence such as messages, screenshots, transaction details and phone numbers.

The complaint can be reported through India's national cybercrime helpline, 1930, and the government's cybercrime reporting portal. Users can also approach the cybercrime unit or police station in their area.

The suspicious application should be removed from the device after preserving relevant evidence. Users should also review app permissions and consider changing passwords or taking additional account-security measures if sensitive information may have been exposed.

The latest removals underline the importance of checking a digital lender before borrowing. A promise of an instant loan should not come at the cost of access to a phone's contacts, photographs, banking information or other personal data.

The Centre has ordered a temporary ban on access to Telegram in India until June 22 and directed the platform to disable its message‑edit feature in the country until June 30, officials said on Tuesday. The move comes days before the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET‑UG) re‑examination on June 21, which was called after a paper‑leak controversy.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) said the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued the order under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. According to the NTA, the edit facility on Telegram was being misused to create forged evidence of paper leaks — users were editing old messages to insert question papers or PDFs and later claiming that leaks had occurred before exams.

“The step aims to curb circulation of fabricated evidence and ensure fairness of the re‑examination,” an NTA statement said, adding that the restriction on Telegram’s access will remain in effect through June 22 and the edit feature will be disabled until June 30. The agency acknowledged the inconvenience to ordinary users but called the measures “necessary” for exam integrity.

The NTA said it had exhausted other options before the ban, including requests to remove objectionable content and coordination with law‑enforcement agencies. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), working with police teams in Bihar, Gujarat and Rajasthan, has already taken action against several Telegram channels, groups and bots linked to exam malpractice and extortion.

Investigations have revealed organised activity on channels using names such as “Paper Leaked NEET”, “Re‑NEET 2026”, “Private Mafia” and variations claiming to supply papers. The Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch has detained members of an interstate cyber‑fraud gang, and the probe has reportedly uncovered around eight Telegram channels, roughly 1.5 crore rupees in transactions and about 1,000 mobile numbers connected to the operation.

The NTA warned students against trusting unverified information on social media and urged them to rely only on official sources: the NEET portal (neet.nta.nic.in) and NTA’s verified handles. “Information related to the exam should only be taken from official channels,” the agency said.

The ban is narrowly timed to cover the re‑exam period; access will be restored after June 22, the NTA added. The temporary disabling of message editing will remain longer to prevent retrospective manipulation of threads that could be used to manufacture false evidence.

Separately, the NTA has altered the NEET‑UG re‑exam format. The duration has been extended from 180 minutes to 195 minutes, and additional space for rough work has been provided on the answer sheet, the agency confirmed. These changes come as part of efforts to accommodate logistics and ensure students are not disadvantaged.

Student groups and legal experts said they expect pushback from users and civil‑liberties advocates over a country‑wide block of an app used by millions. Some noted that blocking platforms is a blunt tool, while others accepted targeted restrictions if backed by clear evidence of criminal misuse. The government has framed the action as a limited, evidence‑driven intervention aimed at preventing large‑scale fraud that could again derail a national exam.

Law‑enforcement agencies are continuing investigations into alleged extortion and paper‑leak networks. The I4C and state police units have been asked to follow leads and identify financial trails, administrators said. Meanwhile, the NTA reiterated that students should avoid rumours and check only official updates about exam timing, centres and protocols.