Many Bengaluru residents have fallen into the trap of electricity bill scam. Online scammers are reportedly sending people phishing SMS and getting remote control over their smartphones.
By Divya Bhati: Remember the viral electricity bill scam where people were receiving warnings for the discontinuation of electrical supply if they didn’t pay it urgently? Well, the scam is back in Bengaluru and many residents have already lost lakhs to cyber fraudsters.
In a recent case, a 56-year-old businessman named Aravind Kumar was duped of Rs 4.9 lakh on the pretext of online electricity bill payment. According to a report by The Hindu, the victim is a resident of Chamarajapet, Bengaluru, and has filed a complaint about the online scam with West Division cyber crime police on Saturday.
In the report, he states that he received a call from a man posing as a BESCOM (Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited) official. The caller informed Kumar that his electricity bill is due. And if not paid immediately, then the electrical power supply will be disconnected. When asked how to pay the bill, the caller further sent him a link to download Teamviewer Quick support mobile app. However, as soon as Kumar downloaded the instructed app, the scammer got access to the details of his bank account and transferred all the money to his account. The fraudster allegedly stole Rs 4.9 lakh from the victim’s account.
