Pune: A 58-year-old woman has reported being defrauded of approximately 980,000 rupees by cybercriminals masquerading as officials from the Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited (MNGGL). The Sinhagad Road police have registered a case based on the woman's complaint.

The victim, residing in Ganeshnagar, Dhayari, received a message on her mobile phone warning her that her gas connection would be disconnected if she failed to pay her outstanding bill. Believing the message to be legitimate, the woman reached out to the number provided, which she was led to believe belonged to an MNGL official.

During the conversation, the alleged fraudster instructed her to download an APK app purportedly related to her gas connection. Once the app was downloaded, she was prompted to enter her debit card information.

Following this, the fraudster requested an OTP (One Time Password) and proceeded to make 17 unauthorized transactions from the woman’s bank account, ultimately withdrawing 980,000 rupees.

Upon realizing that she had fallen victim to a scam, the woman promptly filed a complaint at the Sinhagad Road police station. Authorities are currently investigating the case and are urging the public to be cautious of such fraudulent schemes.

Previously, cyber thieves were deceiving people by claiming their MSEB electricity bills were unpaid. Now, they have started using the MNGL gas company's name to carry out their frauds.

Fraudsters call the victims stating that their MNGL bill is outstanding and is not reflecting in their system. They send a WhatsApp link under the pretext of updating the MNGL account. Unsuspecting citizen click on this link. By using this link, the cybercriminals obtain all the complainant's details and debit card information.