Navi Mumbai, April 6: A 72-year-old retired man from Koparkhairane was cheated of Rs 2.23 lakh by a cyber fraud gang posing as officials of Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL) on the pretext of updating his gas bill, police said, adding that a case has been registered and an investigation is underway.
Fraud executed through fake APK file
The victim, Ajay Krishnan (72), a resident of Sati Co-operative Housing Society, was targeted on the night of March 31 when a fraudster called his wife, claiming their gas bill was unpaid and threatening immediate disconnection of the gas supply. The caller then sent an APK file in the name of MGL and instructed them to download it to complete the 'bill update' process.
After the application was installed, the accused gained access to Krishnan’s bank account and credit card details and siphoned off Rs 2.23 lakh within minutes by transferring the amount to another account.
Complaint filed, probe underway
Realising the fraud, Krishnan approached the Koparkhairane Police Station and lodged a complaint.
A case has been registered against unidentified persons under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act.
"Efforts are on to trace the accused and recover the amount, while further investigation is being carried out under the supervision of senior officers," a police officer said.
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Police advisory to citizens
Authorities have urged citizens to remain vigilant and avoid downloading APK files or clicking on links sent by unknown sources, and to use only official platforms for utility bill payments.
They also advised contacting official customer care in case of suspicious calls and reporting fraud immediately on the cyber crime helpline 1930.
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