Pune News : Elderly man duped of ₹89k in piped gas bill scam by cybercrook

In a troubling trend of online fraud, cybercriminals have devised a new scheme to defraud individuals under the guise of pending piped gas bills. Mimicking the tactics previously employed in power bill scams, these fraudsters pose as officials from gas supply companies to deceive unsuspecting victims.

The latest victim of this piped gas bill fraud is a 77-year-old resident of Wakad, Pune, who fell prey to the cybercrook’s scheme, losing a staggering sum of Rs 89,000. According to police reports, the fraudster impersonated an official from Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited (MNGL) and fraudulently extracted funds from the victim’s United Payments Interface (UPI) account.

The incident unfolded on a Tuesday afternoon when the elderly man received a call from an unknown number, purportedly from MNGL. The caller falsely claimed that the victim’s gas bill was overdue and instructed him to follow a process to update the bill. Under the pretense of a trial payment, the fraudster coerced the victim into downloading a remote access app and transferring Rs 100.

Tragically, as the victim initiated the transfer, he received an OTP (One-Time Password) and unwittingly shared it with the caller. Subsequently, Rs 89,000 was illicitly siphoned from his UPI account, leaving him duped and defrauded.

Realizing the deception, the victim promptly reported the incident to the Wakad police, who have launched an investigation into the matter. This unfortunate case serves as a stark reminder of the persistent threat posed by cybercriminals, highlighting the need for heightened vigilance and awareness among the public to safeguard against such fraudulent activities.