A new cyber fraud pattern has emerged around prepaid electricity meters, with fraudsters posing as electricity department employees and threatening consumers with disconnection in order to trick them into installing a fake application.
Fraudsters Pose as Power Department Staff
The scam has surfaced in the name of updating prepaid electricity bills and meter records. Fraudsters allegedly call consumers, identify themselves as employees of the power utility, and claim that the previous month’s bill has not been updated in the system. They then warn that the electricity connection will be cut immediately unless the issue is resolved.
A recent case from Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh is cited in the material. The callers told the consumer that the bill had not been updated and offered a supposed solution by asking the person to install an application through a link sent to the mobile phone. Once the link is opened, the application is said to install automatically and the fraud is carried out.
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Prepaid Meter Users Asked to Stay Alert
This as a new scam trend linked to prepaid electricity meters. They say fraud groups are using phone calls to trap consumers and are targeting users in the name of bill updates. The reports add that even though technology has made many services easier, it has also opened new avenues for fraud.
The alert consumers are not falling for the deception because employees of electricity utilities do not send links or messages to update electricity bills. Any such call or message, the material warns, should be treated as potentially fraudulent.
Official Apps and Websites Only
The authorities advise electricity consumers to recharge prepaid meters only through official applications or websites. They also say utility employees never ask for personal information such as phone numbers, bank account details or email information over a call.
Consumers are also advised not to click on suspicious links received on mobile phones or WhatsApp, as this may expose the device to hacking. For payment of electricity bills or prepaid meter recharge, the material says only official apps, websites and authorised service centres should be used. If any suspicious call or message is received from cyber fraudsters, consumers are urged to inform the cyber cell immediately by calling 1930.
About the author – Rehan Khan is a law student and legal journalist with a keen interest in cybercrime, digital fraud, and emerging technology laws. He writes on the intersection of law, cybersecurity, and online safety, focusing on developments that impact individuals and institutions in India.
