Ex-serviceman falls victim to Rs 3.64 lakh online gas bill scam in Pune
Ex-serviceman falls victim to Rs 3.64 lakh online gas bill scam in Pune
September 11, 2024
An elderly Indian Air Force veteran visiting Australia became a target of cyber criminals pretending to be Maharashtra Natural Gas Ltd (MNGL) officers. These criminals managed to gain unauthorized access to his phone by deceiving him into sharing confidential information, leading to the theft of Rs. 3.64 lakh from his bank accounts.
The veteran’s nephew filed a FIR with the Pune Police, detailing that the incident occurred in the third week of August while the veteran, in his early 80s, was in Australia for personal reasons. Initially, the veteran received a WhatsApp message claiming his MNGL gas bill was overdue and threatened disconnection if not paid by 9 pm that night. The message included a phone number belonging to an MNGL officer. Responding to the message, the veteran sent a screenshot of his last bill payment.
Shortly after, the veteran received a WhatsApp video call from an individual claiming to be an MNGL officer. During the call, the impersonator informed the veteran that MNGL had not received his payment and needed to verify it. It was during this conversation that the criminals likely coerced the veteran into revealing sensitive information, which was then exploited to access his phone.
Shortly after, the veteran received multiple notifications indicating that a total of Rs. 3.64 lakh had been deducted from his two bank accounts.
