IAF veteran loses Rs 3.64 lakh in cyber fraud on pretext of gas bill payment in Pune

The veteran received a WhatsApp message, which said that his MNGL gas connection bill was pending payment and would be disconnected at 9 pm that night if not paid. The message had a phone number at the end stating that it was of an MNGL officer. The veteran replied to the message and sent the screenshot of the last bill payment made.

A while later, the veteran received a WhatsApp video call from a man who identified himself as an MNGL officer. On the video, the caller told the veteran that MNGL had not received the amount and that his payment will have to be verified. It is during this call that the suspects are believed to have manipulated the victim into sharing sensitive information which was misused to gain access to his phone.

A while later the veteran received multiple alerts of funds totalling Rs 3.64 lakh having been deducted from his two bank accounts. His nephew subsequently approached the Pune Police with a complainant and an FIR was registered.

Officials from Cyber Crime police station of Pune City Police said that over the last four months they have observed a spike in the number of cases in which senior citizens have been cheated by cyber criminals in the same manner. The victims receive messages saying their power or gas bills are pending payment. On the pretext of payment or payment verification, the Cyber fraudsters gain unauthorised access to victims’ phones and siphon funds from their accounts.