New Delhi: Two residents of Indore, Madhya Pradesh, have allegedly lost more than ₹5.06 lakh in a cyber fraud in which scammers posed as electricity company representatives and used fake bill update messages to target victims. According to police, the fraudsters first warned the victims that their electricity connection would be disconnected due to unpaid bills and then sent malicious APK files to their mobile phones. When the files could not be installed, the accused allegedly obtained debit card details and one-time passwords (OTPs) under the pretext of providing technical assistance, before withdrawing money from the victims’ bank accounts. Cyber police have registered FIRs against unidentified persons and initiated an investigation.
According to police, the first case involves an engineer, Rajesh, a resident of the Annapurna area of Indore. In his complaint, he stated that on the night of July 17, his wife received a text message claiming that their electricity bill had not been paid and that the power supply would be disconnected within 30 minutes unless immediate action was taken. The message also contained a mobile number for assistance.
Rajesh contacted the number and shared a copy of his previously paid electricity bill receipt. The caller then claimed that the payment had not been updated in the online records and that the consumer number needed to be updated. For this purpose, the fraudster sent an APK file and asked him to install it. However, the file failed to download due to technical reasons.
The accused then sent another APK file directly to Rajesh’s phone. When that also failed to install, the caller instructed him to make a ₹12 debit card transaction as part of the “verification process.” During this process, the fraudster allegedly collected Rajesh’s debit card details and OTP. Within minutes, Rajesh began receiving multiple banking alerts and discovered that ₹4.53 lakh had been withdrawn from his account.
After realising the fraud, Rajesh immediately blocked his bank account and lodged a complaint with the cyber police. Investigators are now examining the bank accounts, payment channels and mobile numbers allegedly used to transfer the stolen funds.
The second case involves Anjana Shukla, another resident of the Annapurna area. She told police that on the night of July 20, she received a similar phone call claiming that her electricity bill was overdue. The caller identified himself as an electricity department employee, sent her an APK file and instructed her to install it and change certain settings on her mobile phone. Shortly afterwards, more than ₹53,000 was allegedly withdrawn from her bank account.
Based on both complaints, cyber police have registered cases against unidentified accused under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act. Investigators are analysing call detail records, bank accounts, digital payment trails, device logs and other electronic evidence to identify those involved and trace the movement of the stolen money.
Cybersecurity experts warn that fake APK files sent in the name of electricity bill payments, KYC verification, gas connections or banking updates have become a common tool used by cybercriminals. Installing such files may allow attackers to gain remote access to a mobile device or steal sensitive financial information. They advise people never to share debit or credit card details, OTPs, UPI PINs or internet banking credentials with anyone claiming to provide customer support.
Experts also recommend verifying any payment-related communication only through the official website, mobile application or customer care number of the concerned utility provider. If anyone suspects they have become a victim of such fraud, they should immediately notify their bank, block their cards and accounts, and report the incident to the National Cyber Crime Helpline (1930) or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Prompt reporting significantly improves the chances of freezing fraudulent transactions and recovering stolen funds.
