Navi Mumbai Cyber Fraud: Environment Activist Duped Of ₹1.5 Lakh In Fake Mahanagar Gas ₹12 Bill Scam; Probe Underway

Navi Mumbai, August 6, 2026: A Navi Mumbai-based environment activist was allegedly duped of more than Rs 1.5 lakh in a sophisticated cyber fraud after fraudsters posing as Mahanagar Gas representatives tricked him into paying an alleged pending bill of just Rs 12 through a fake payment link.

The victim, B. N. Kumar, received a message threatening disconnection of his domestic gas connection over an unpaid bill. Shortly afterwards, he received calls from a man claiming to be from Mahanagar Gas, who said the earlier payment had not been reflected in the system.

The caller then sent a WhatsApp link that opened what appeared to be an official Mahanagar Gas payment page displaying outstanding dues of Rs 12. Under the pretext of clearing the nominal amount, the fraudster persuaded Kumar to install an application with the ".APK" extension and asked him to enter his credit card details, claiming that debit card and UPI payment options were unavailable.

Within minutes, unauthorised transactions worth more than Rs 1.5 lakh were carried out using two of Kumar's credit cards before he realised he had fallen victim to a cyber scam.

Complaint Lodged

Kumar immediately blocked both credit cards after receiving multiple OTP alerts and lodged complaints with the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP). The complaint has since been transferred to the Kopar Khairane Police Station for investigation.

"I want people to be extremely cautious. Never install applications received through unsolicited links, especially files ending with the .APK extension, and never share banking credentials with unknown callers. A small payment demand can be a trap to steal your money," Kumar said.

He also criticised the delay in reaching bank customer care during emergencies. "Though the IVR provides an option to report cyber fraud, getting through to a customer care executive is extremely difficult and time-consuming. In such situations, every minute counts," he said.

Police Issue Advisory

Police said they have been receiving several complaints involving fraudsters impersonating utility service providers and using small pending dues as bait to convince victims to download malicious applications or disclose banking details.

"We urge citizens to verify any payment demand directly with the service provider, avoid installing APK files from unknown sources, keep credit card spending limits low, and never share OTPs or banking credentials with anyone," a police officer said.

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What Is An APK

An APK (Android Package Kit) is an Android application installation file. Cybercriminals often use malicious APK files distributed outside the Google Play Store to steal banking credentials, intercept OTPs, or gain remote access to a victim's mobile phone.

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