LPG Shortage Exploited By Cyber Fraudsters, Navi Mumbai Residents Lose Over ₹6 Lakh

Navi Mumbai: Cyber fraudsters have taken advantage of the ongoing LPG shortage situation to scam residents, duping at least three individuals of over Rs 6 lakh by posing as gas company officials and using malware to hack their mobile phones and bank accounts. Police have registered multiple cases and launched investigations into the incidents.

In a similar modus operandi across the cases, fraudsters impersonated representatives of Mahanagar Gas Limited, contacted victims over phone or WhatsApp, and tricked them into downloading malicious files or links under the pretext of gas bill updates or new connection registrations.

In Nerul, a 57-year-old man, Brijesh Surendra Singh, was cheated of Rs 1.52 lakh on March 18 while attempting to obtain a new gas connection from home. Singh, a resident of Air India Colony in Sector 19, received a mobile number via WhatsApp and contacted it for a gas connection. The caller, identifying himself as 'Vivek Gupta' from Mahanagar Gas Limited, sent him a file for registration. After Singh entered his personal details, the file—embedded with malware—allowed the accused to access his Union Bank of India account and siphon off Rs 1.52 lakh.

On March 19, two similar cases were reported in Kamothe. Ashutosh Anna Patil (32), a resident of Shree Ganesh Society in Sector 18, was contacted by a fraudster claiming his gas service required an update. After opening a file sent on WhatsApp, his phone was hacked and Rs 2.02 lakh was transferred from his bank account.

In another incident the same day, businessman Pawan Ramoulas Singh (53) from Om Shivam Residency, Kamothe, received a similar call regarding a pending gas bill update. He downloaded a link sent via WhatsApp, which compromised his phone, enabling the accused to withdraw Rs 2.44 lakh from his two bank accounts using digital payment platforms.

Police said the fraudsters are exploiting the urgency and confusion caused by gas supply issues to target unsuspecting citizens. Cases have been registered at Nerul and Kamothe police stations under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act, including provisions related to cheating, impersonation, and cyber fraud.

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A police officer said, “Fraudsters are using the LPG shortage narrative to create panic and trick people into sharing sensitive information or downloading malicious files. Citizens must remain cautious.”

Police have urged residents not to download unknown files or apps received via WhatsApp or other platforms, and clarified that gas companies never ask for personal or banking details over phone calls. Victims of cyber fraud are advised to immediately report incidents by calling 1930 or filing a complaint on the national cybercrime portal.

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