gas bill scam
The fraud took place on Sep 6, according to a complaint lodged with Satellite police. A total of Rs 11.6 lakh was allegedly siphoned off through transactions linked to his HDFC and AU Bank accounts. He reported the fraud to the cybercrime helpline 1930 before approaching the police.
Cybercrime officials said the scam is a new version of the fake electricity bill fraud that has targeted consumers in the past. The victim received a WhatsApp message stating that his gas connection had become inactive and asking him to contact a helpline. When he called, the fraudster identified himself as a gas company representative and claimed that a bill payment was pending. Soon afterwards, the victim began receiving transaction alerts. With PNG increasingly becoming an alternative fuel source for households facing LPG availability concerns, fraudsters are exploiting fears of service disruption to deceive consumers.
Fraud Alert: Victim Targeted via WhatsApp Scam
A recent scam involved a victim receiving a file named “Gas Bill Update.apk” through WhatsApp. The fraudster instructed the victim to install the file and make a payment of Rs 10 to reactivate his account. After several failed payment attempts, the victim entered his card details, which compromised his financial security. The scam escalated when the fraudster acquired the victim’s wife’s mobile number and sent the same APK file to her, indicating a targeted effort to exploit the family further.