Chandigarh: Cyber fraudsters posing as Adani Gas employees continue to target city residents, cheating three people of a total of ₹6.22 lakh through fake gas bill update and pending payment scams.The victims were tricked into downloading malicious APK files or opening fraudulent payment links, enabling fraudsters to gain unauthorised access to their mobile phones, bank accounts and credit cards. The Cyber Crime Police Station, Sector 17, has registered three FIRs against unidentified accused under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and launched an investigation.In the first case, Tony Bal, a resident of Sector 44-C, received a WhatsApp call on July 25 from a person claiming to be an Adani Gas employee. The caller told him that his gas bill had not been generated and warned that his connection would be disconnected by 10.30pm due to pending dues. After persuading him to install an APK file sent via WhatsApp, the fraudster allegedly siphoned off ₹3,32,426 from his Punjab National Bank and Bank of Baroda accounts.In another incident, Jai Prakash Singh, a Sarangpur resident employed at the Bank of Baroda branch in Sector 44, received a call on July 28 claiming that his gas bills for the previous two to three months were overdue. The caller sent a fake employee identity card and a payment link via WhatsApp. Although Singh did not make any payment, he entered his details on the link. Later that night, ₹1,69,635 was allegedly withdrawn from his Bank of Baroda credit card.In the third case, Paramjit Singh of Sector 35-A, who had been awaiting gas bills for four domestic connections, received a similar call on July 29. After opening a fake APK file sent by the caller, his phone froze and ₹1.20 lakh was allegedly withdrawn from his IDBI Bank account.Police have advised residents not to install APK files, scan unknown QR codes, or click on suspicious payment links received in the name of utility services. Citizens have also been urged never to share OTPs, banking credentials or UPI PINs and to immediately report cyber fraud to the national helpline 1930 or the nearest cyber police station.
