What began as a simple electricity meter recharge through a UPI app turned into a nightmare for a Muzaffarpur resident, who lost ₹95,000 to a suspected fraud racket. The incident has raised serious concerns about app security, customer care fraud, and possible collusion with official billing platforms.
One Recharge, Multiple Debits: A Routine Bill Sparks a Costly Cybercrime
When Ramesh Kumar Nirala, a resident of Bhagwanpur Govindpuri, attempted to recharge his prepaid electricity meter via a UPI-enabled app on February 22, he had no inkling it would lead to a crippling financial loss. What appeared to be a routine transaction soon spiraled into unauthorized deductions totaling ₹95,332 from his linked bank accounts.
Initially, Nirala noticed repeated automatic debits from his account, even though he had only authorized a single recharge. Suspecting a technical glitch, he approached the electricity department, where officials deflected responsibility, advising him to contact the UPI app’s customer care service.
The Customer Care Trap: A Call that Emptied Bank Accounts
Following the electricity department’s suggestion, Nirala called the UPI app’s customer care number he found online. The representative, after listening to the complaint, asked for sensitive account details, allegedly to “resolve the issue.”
Shortly after sharing his information, Nirala received two debit alerts: ₹50,888 and ₹44,444 withdrawn from his three bank accounts linked to the app. Realizing he had been scammed, he rushed to the Cyber Police Station and filed an FIR against the unknown fraudster, citing misuse of UPI services and impersonation under the guise of customer care.
Police suspect that the fraudster had either spoofed the legitimate customer care number or that Nirala was misled by a fraudulent helpline number available on unsecured platforms, which is a rising tactic in cybercrime circles.
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Widening Conspiracy? Allegations of Inside Links and Departmental Apathy
What sets this case apart is the suspected link between the fraud and authorized platforms. Nirala claimed that employees connected to the official meter recharge app may have colluded with the fraud network, considering the continued deductions and lack of departmental response.
Despite lodging a formal complaint, Nirala alleges that electricity department officials were uncooperative and refused to block future unauthorized deductions.
Cyber DSP Himanshu Kumar confirmed that an FIR has been registered, and Inspector Arvind Kumar is heading the investigation. “We’re probing both the technical and human elements of the scam,” said the DSP.
Authorities are also examining whether this fraud is part of a larger, organised cybercrime network exploiting the UPI payment infrastructure using customer care spoofing, a threat that continues to grow across India.
The case is a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities consumers face even while using authorized apps. Authorities have urged users to verify customer care numbers through official websites only and never share confidential financial information over unsolicited calls.
About the author – Prakriti Jha is a student at National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, currently pursuing B.Sc. LL.B (Hons.) with a keen interest in the intersection of law and data science. She is passionate about exploring how legal frameworks adapt to the evolving challenges of technology and justice.
