A 40-year-old resident of Misrod in Bhopal lost nearly Rs 1.9 lakh after cyber fraudsters impersonated electricity department officials. The scammers tricked him into granting remote access to his mobile phone under the pretext of updating his power bill details.
Case Registered
Misrod police registered a case of cheating and cyber fraud on Monday. The complainant, Madhup Kumar Singh, a resident of Sagar Royal Villas in Misrod, reported receiving a WhatsApp message on May 7 from an unknown number claiming to be from the electricity department. The message warned that his electricity connection would be disconnected if his bill details were not updated and instructed him to contact another mobile number for assistance.
How the Scam Unfolded
Police said Singh called the number mentioned in the message. The caller allegedly provided accurate details related to his electricity account and previous bill payments, convincing him that he was speaking to a genuine representative. Soon after, Singh's mobile phone became inaccessible, and he could not operate it. Within minutes, he received alerts that Rs 22,935 had been debited from his bank account and another Rs 1.66 lakh had been spent through his credit card.
Modus Operandi
Police suspect that the fraudsters gained remote access to the victim's mobile phone during the conversation and used it to carry out unauthorized banking transactions. Authorities advise citizens to be cautious of unsolicited messages and calls requesting personal information or remote access to devices.
