Mumbai, May 12: Nowadays, scammers have started tricking people with the gas connection pending bill hoax. This scam came to the fore after fraudsters targeted a 73-year-old engineering consultant residing in Mumbai's Grant Road area in Maharashtra. On May 7, the victim got a message threatening to terminate his connection if he didn't pay the amount. After tricking him into clicking on a fraudulent link, Rs. 45,000 was taken from his bank account.

Case Filed Under Information Technology Act

Realising he had been conned, the victim went to the police station, and that same day, an offence was filed in the case. The case has been registered under the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act for deceit and dishonestly obtaining the delivery of property. According to the cyber cell, a probe has been initiated in the matter. Electricity Bill Scam: Customers Need to Clear Their Bills Or Power Will Be Disconnected? PIB Fact Check’s The Fake News Going Viral on Social Media.

What is Gas Bill Scam and How it Unfolds?

Scammers first targeted victims under the guise of unpaid electricity bills, though now they are tricking victims with the Gas Bill Scam. In this fraud, the message from an unidentified source includes a telephone number in case the victim 'has any more questions'. When the victim contacts the number and asks about the process of making the payment for the overdue amount, an individual addresses him/ her, presenting himself as a gas company employee.

The accused then provides the victim with a link and requests that he/ she download a file under the guise of changing the bill data. The victim is then required to pay just Rs 5 and fill out a form found at the provided URL. However, once the payment is made, the victim discovers that a massive amount has been deducted from his/her bank account after following the directions and finishing the transaction.

 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 12, 2024 07:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).