Using gullible people to commit fraud and theft is nothing new.But Chinese criminals are taking their efforts to a new level.The Indian government is working to shut down over 230 illegal gambling and banking apps that have been traced back to the country.
According to India's ANI news agency, India's Ministry of Home Affairs has asked the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to take action on 232 apps.The decision was made after authorities confirmed that the application violates federal law because it contains harmful elements that could undermine India's "integrity and sovereignty."
There are said to be 138 gambling and betting apps and 94 lending apps.The government has not released their names, making it difficult for locals to know if they have been targeted.
Be careful what you download
The decision comes after complaints of extortion and harassment from Indian citizens seeking microloans through mobile apps.These apps were allegedly created by Chinese and hired Indians as directors to legalize their activities.
All of these complaints depict similar scenarios.When people in need got loans on certain terms, the criminals behind the app suddenly started charging them an interest rate of 3,000% per annum.When borrowers fail to pay, representatives of the app launch attacks.
They send lewd messages to debtors and threaten to release personal and lewd photos to their contacts.Since the individual had downloaded the app and installed it on their device, the scammers had access to all the information on their phone.
The issue has come to the fore with reports of suicides in parts of India, particularly in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.When this pattern emerged, the state governments of Odisha, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh, along with their intelligence agencies, asked local officials to provide information on the apps.
Based on this information, the Federal Ministry of the Interior started a review of 28 Chinese lending apps in the middle of last year.I ended up discovering 94 apps in online stores and others accessible through third-party links.
Also, in some cases, the app cannot be downloaded from popular online app stores.Sources told ANI that betting apps and games can be found on independent and sometimes unnamed websites.
The Changing Indian Gambling Ecosystem
Earlier, India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said that since betting and gambling are illegal in most of the country, advertising on betting platforms is also illegal. It said the ban was covered by legislation in the Cable Television Networks Act 1995, the Consumer Protection Act 2019 and the IT Act 2021.
That may change soon.India has long opposed most forms of gambling but is in the process of seeking legal support for the online segment.It's not an easy process, as there is still a lot of resistance.
Even the companies that would benefit most from legalization are opposed to the change.The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) is apparently not ready to accept regulated games.
The industry group said last week that it opposes the idea that all game titles must be reviewed and approved before they are released.This is one of the ideas currently being considered to advance regulation of online gambling in India.
IAMAI also said the rule would create financial hardships for many businesses, as no regulation may be specifically required.The comments were made as part of a request for feedback from the government on the proposed rule and are said to speak on behalf of all members.
According to four of them, that's not the case. According to The Economic Times, Dream Sports, Games4x24, Mobile Premier League and Zupee have issued rebuttals to that answer.They say they do not agree with IAMAI's stance, adding that IAMAI has not contacted them for their opinion.
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