A 72-year-old retired resident of Ghatkopar, Mumbai, lost over Rs 19.74 lakh in a sophisticated cyber fraud that drained their life savings overnight. The victims, two brothers and their wives aged between 68 and 72, are all retired and depend on their bank savings for daily expenses.
Fraudulent WhatsApp Message
The victim received a WhatsApp message stating: "Dear Pipe Line MGL Gas user your connection will be disconnected tonight 10:00pm Because your previous month bill is not updated please immediately call our bill update officer Mr. Shrikant Mishra Call 9341405175."
How the Scam Unfolded
When the victim called the number, the fraudster claimed that only Rs 12 was overdue. He was told that upon successful payment, the gas connection would be restored. Following the fraudster's instructions, the victim clicked on a payment link sent via WhatsApp, which compromised his bank accounts.
At 3:15 am, the victims received SMS notifications detailing multiple transactions: Rs 6.93 lakh, Rs 10.29 lakh, Rs 1.5 lakh, and Rs 1.01 lakh were debited from their accounts, totaling Rs 19.74 lakh.
Police Complaint Filed
The Eastern Cyber police have registered a complaint against the unidentified accused under Section 66D of the IT Act, 2000, and various sections of the BNS for impersonation, cheating, and criminal conspiracy. Investigations are ongoing to trace the perpetrators.
