A retired banker from New Panvel fell victim to a sophisticated cyber scam, losing approximately Rs 8 lakh on May 1. The 64-year-old complainant filed a report on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCCRP), leading to an FIR being registered at Khandeshwar police station on Tuesday under charges of cheating and common intention.
How the Scam Unfolded
The victim regularly paid MGL bills for the piped natural gas connection at his elderly father's apartment in Classic Kalpataru society, Sector 16, New Panvel. On May 1, around noon, he received a text message claiming that due to non-payment of the previous month's MGL bill, the PNG supply would be disconnected. The message instructed him to call a provided mobile number to update the bill. When he dialed the number, the call did not go through.
Later, between 3 pm and 4 pm, he received WhatsApp calls from three different numbers. The callers, all speaking in Hindi, provided instructions on how to take a PNG meter reading. The last caller sent a PDF file demonstrating the reading process. Initially, the complainant refused to open the PDF, but the callers insisted they were genuine MGL representatives providing customer service. Under pressure, he clicked the PDF, but it failed to open. When he reported this, they promised to resend it.
The Malicious APK File
Shortly after, the scammers sent an APK file link for online payment, claiming he needed to pay Rs 10 to update the MGL app. The complainant attempted the payment through internet banking by entering his user ID and password, but the transaction failed. Suspecting foul play, he refused further payment and disconnected the call.
However, between 8 pm and 9 pm that evening, he received bank alerts for five transactions totaling Rs 8,03,604 debited from his account. He then realized he had been cheated by cyber fraudsters who had remotely accessed his mobile data after he clicked on the APK file link, fraudulently debiting the money.
Police Investigation and Precautions
Police have registered a case and are investigating the incident. Authorities urge citizens to be cautious of unsolicited messages and calls demanding payment or personal information. They advise never to click on unknown links or install APK files from unverified sources, and to verify any such requests directly with the official company.
