Navi Mumbai: Cyber fraudsters targeting PNG consumers of Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL) by sending messages that the gas connection will be disconnected for non-payment of the bill are using a new modus operandi. They send a link to an APK file to check the outstanding bill, and when the consumer opens the APK file link, the consumer’s mobile gets hacked. The fraudsters then remotely access bank account details and fraudulently transfer money from the victim’s bank account.A recent victim of this new modus operandi was a 67-year-old retired govt employee from Panvel, who was defrauded of Rs 10 lakhs by a cyber fraudster posing as MGL agency staff. The fraudster told him that his MGL bill was not paid. He was sent an APK file link and was defrauded, after which he registered an FIR at Panvel City Police Station on Thursday.
PSI Abhay Kadam of Panvel said, “As per the complainant, on December 28, he was sent an APK file on WhatsApp, with the sender’s display profile showing the name and logo of Mahanagar Gas, for checking his outstanding bill. As he downloaded the APK file, after a while, he received a bank text message that Rs 2 lakhs was debited from his account. After a few days, when he updated his bank passbook, he found there were several transactions with amounts debited from his 2 bank accounts, and a total of Rs 10 lakhs was fraudulently debited. Hence, on Thursday, he lodged a police complaint, and an FIR was registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property, and Information Technology Act sections for identity theft and cheating by impersonation using computer resources.”In September last year, a 71-year-old man from Koparkhairane lost Rs 12 lakh in the Mahanagar Gas bill payment fraud. He received a message from an unidentified fraudster warning him that his PNG pipeline would be disconnected due to the non-update of the last payment. The fraudster sent him a link on WhatsApp and made him click on the update option, thus hacking his mobile and carrying out multiple transactions, debiting a total of Rs 12 lakh from his savings bank account.
