{
  "id": 12550956,
  "title": "Raid on Lahore call centre: 39 arrested for ‘blackmailing people through loan apps’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/raid-on-lahore-call-centre-39-arrested-for-blackmailing-people",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-07T05:05:59.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn - Pakistan",
    "slug": "dawn-pakistan",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2035287/raid-on-lahore-call-centre-39-arrested-for-blackmailing-people-through-loan-apps"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Lahore, Pakistani authorities have arrested 39 individuals, including a woman, in a raid on an illegal call centre where artificial intelligence tools were allegedly used to create fake explicit images of borrowers who defaulted on loans. The operation, supervised by Cybercrime Additional Director Atif Ameer, took place under search warrants at Talk Master Private Limited in GCP Society. Thirty-eight men and one woman were apprehended during the raid. Investigators seized 40 laptops and 41 mobile phones from the facility. The call centre operated several loan applications, including Gurbat Fund, Jahez Fund, Cash Air, Credit Check, and Credit Support. These apps reportedly had access to users' photo galleries and contact lists. If borrowers failed to repay loans, the staff allegedly used AI to transform their images into explicit content, threatening to share them with family and contacts unless immediate payments were made. The seized devices are under forensic examination, and authorities are investigating the monetary dealings of the suspects and potential international connections.",
  "summary": "LAHORE: Pakistan’s anti-cybercrime authorities claimed to have arrested 39 suspects, including a woman, after raiding an illegal call centre in Lahore where artificial intelligence (AI) tools were being allegedly used to create fake explicit images of persons who failed to repay loans. The operation was carried out under the supervision of Cybercrime Additional Director Atif Ameer, after…",
  "key_points": [
    "39 individuals, including a woman, arrested in Lahore raid",
    "AI used to create fake explicit images of defaulters",
    "40 laptops and 41 mobile phones seized from call centre"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The raid on the Lahore call centre suggests a significant escalation in tactics used by loan app operators, now reportedly leveraging AI-generated explicit images to blackmail borrowers into repayment.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}