Scandal as Google readmits fraudulent app, LCredit into Play Store

QUICK LOAN ARENA has just learnt that Google has readmitted the fraudulent and spying app, LCredit into its Play Store exactly one month after the initial ban. The internet giant has removed LCredit and Rapid Naira from its Play Store on the 21st of October, for data breach and violating customers’ data privacy.

QUICK LOAN ARENA had exclusively reported then that LCredit was blacklisted by Google and banned from its Play Store because the loan app was discovered by Play Protect, the security system on Google Play Store that scans apps hosted on its network, as involving in malicious and fraudulent activities.

Google discovered that LCredit app was trying to spy on phone contacts, recordings, Photos and other private content on the android devices of its users, contracy to Google laid down privacy policy.

Scandal as Google readmits fraudulent app, LCredit into Play Store

Play Protect by Google had warned users on the 20th of October 2021: “This app (LCredit App) tries to spy on your personal data such as sms messages, photos, audio recording or call history.” It went further to warn users to immediately uninstall the blacklisted LCredit app from their phone, and that if they fail to do so, and open the app, they do so at their risk.

Some consumers who spoke with QUICK LOAN ARENA then validated Google’s claim of LCredit and other loan apps spying illegally into their phones.

One of such is Folafaith on October 22, 2021 at 6:48 am told us: “Truly LCredit do spy on person account, phone storage, contacts, messages and start calling your contacts and message them on WhatsApp and through normal messaging. If you fail to repay just for a day, they will start calling all your contacts and start calling the person a fraudster.”

She continues: “This scam activity is not only peculiar with LCredit, there are still many of the loan apps that does so, such as Sokoloan, Credit9ja, True Naira, Naira Plus, KasKash, Easycredit. Sokoloan for example will tell you to sell your property to repay them, even though you’re on sick bed it doesn’t concern them.”

Another user, Tunji Adeleke on October 22, 2021 at 7:04 am told us: “Most of these obviously fake quick loan apps spy on your private information. They also spy your SMS alert to know when you receive payment and other information. They will collect your phone contact list to which they begin to send threat messages to them and even call some of them.”

It’s yet unclear why and how Google got LCredit readmitted into its Play Store, but we are closing monitoring the development. On November 8, 2021, QUICK LOAN ARENA has reported as follows in its headline:
LCredit Still Threatening, Blackmailing Customers, Contacts After Google Play Ban. , with the introduction:

LCredit loan app, the lending platform that was blacklisted by Google and removed from its Play Store after the internet giant detected it was spying customers’ vital contact information and banking details, is still threatening and blackmailing its customers that are due for repayment.

Customers who downloaded and have the LCredit app on their android phones were warned by Play Protect the security system of Google that detects spyware and malware to uninstall the app from their phones about 2 weeks ago for breach of data privacy policy.

However customers who are still owing the lending app who spoke with QUICK LOAN ARENA confirmed that they are still being threatened to pay up immediately whatever they are owing else they and their families will receive “the shock of their lives” as they will be exposed as criminals on social media.

One of LCredit customer, Mr Oluwole Bolodeoku (not real names) who is an hospitality consultant and lives in Lagos told QUICK LOAN ARENA that he is still owing the loan platform about N100,000 and he has been making repayment on a weekly basis of N5,000 but he was threatened this afternoon to pay all outsanding or else he, his wife, children and family members will be pictured and tagged criminals and posted on all social media platforms.

On November 15th, 2021, QUICK LOAN ARENA published another piece with the headline: Data Breach: Facing Google Ban, LCredit Continues To Defame Its Customers : and we went ahead to blacklist the loan app.