Mumbai, March 22: Cybercrime is on the rise in Mumbai, the financial capital of India. Scammers are taking advantage of the situation, defrauding individuals under the pretext of gas connections.
In the past day, Mumbai police have registered seven cases of cyber fraud across the city. The fraudsters lured victims into clicking on Android Package Kit (APK) files or links, resulting in a theft of ₹8.4 lakhs. Three cases were reported at the Borivali police station, while additional cases were filed at the Khar and Pantnagar police stations. Two of these incidents involved fake Mahanagar Gas APK files.
Previously, on March 18, cybercriminals defrauded a woman in Dombivli, near Mumbai, by threatening to cut off her gas connection. Smita Rane, a resident of Sunil Nagar, received a suspicious SMS on her husband’s mobile phone. The message claimed that the February bill for Mahanagar Gas was not updated in the company’s system and warned that their gas connection would be terminated if the information was not updated immediately.
When Smita called the number provided in the message, the person on the other end claimed to be a representative of Mahanagar Gas. He stated that due to technical issues, their bill was not visible in the system and that an online process was required to rectify it.
The scammer sent Smita a link, instructing her to click on it and fill in the necessary information to update the bill. After opening the link, she was prompted to provide her debit and credit card details. Shortly after submitting the requested information, money began to disappear from her accounts. The scammers withdrew ₹2 lakhs from her credit card and ₹99,500 from her debit card.
Additionally, on March 4 and 5, two more cases of cyber fraud involving APK files and links in the name of Mahanagar Gas were reported at the Ramnagar police station.
Mumbai police are urging citizens to remain vigilant. Officials advise caution before downloading or installing any unknown links or APK files. They also emphasize the importance of safeguarding bank details and personal information and reporting any suspicious messages or files immediately.
My name is Ganpat Singh Choughan. I am an experienced content writer with 7 years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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