What looked like a small Rs 12 payment turned out to be a massive digital theft for a 60-year-old man in Noida. The senior citizen lost over Rs 12 lakh after cybercriminals hacked into his phone, following a call about a so-called pending gas bill. Not long ago, a similar ‘electricity bill scam’ was quite prevalent across the country, which also mainly targeted senior citizens. Knowing that common people, particularly the elderly, easily fall into the fear induced by urgency, cybercriminals try to trap them by taking advantage of gaps in their technological efficiency.
What is the ‘Gas Bill Scam’?
The recent incident, which happened on July 11, came to light after the man filed a complaint with Noida’s cybercrime police. He said he got a call from someone who claimed to be from Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL). The caller mentioned a small outstanding amount on his gas bill, just Rs 12, and sent him a link on WhatsApp to settle it.
Trusting the source, he clicked the link and followed the instructions. That’s when things went wrong.
As the elderly hit ‘Yes’, most likely granting permission for access, his phone’s screen froze. During that brief window, the hackers managed to take control of his calls and messages. Before he could figure out what was going on, they siphoned off Rs 12.30 lakh from his bank and credit card through multiple transactions.
By the time he started receiving alerts from his bank two days later, the damage had already been done.
As of now, the Police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the IT Act, and the investigations are underway. The cybercrime unit said the fraudsters used a combination of screen-freeze tactics and call/message diversion to execute the theft.
IGL, meanwhile, has issued a reminder that it does not send payment links over WhatsApp or communicate such payment issues by phone calls. The company says it has been actively warning customers not to trust any such messages or calls.
For wondering, ‘Could this happen to me?’, It is important to remember that scammers target people across all age groups, not just seniors.
It is worth taking a step back and rethinking how we interact with messages and calls around payments. Cyber scams are evolving; they are no longer about shady emails full of spelling mistakes. Now, it could be a phone call that sounds just like customer care, or a message that looks exactly like your gas provider’s.
And while anyone can fall for such tricks, older adults, especially those who did not grow up with smartphones and apps, may be more vulnerable simply because they are not wired to distrust every notification.
There are no foolproof methods, but a few small habits can go a long way:
If someone sends you a link out of the blue, especially on WhatsApp or SMS, pause. Even if it looks urgent, maybe especially then, it is important to pause.
Don’t act on payment requests that come with pressure or deadlines, especially when they are about utility bills or services. If you are unsure, go to the official website or app directly.
As IGL also pointed out, official bodies/organisations never send you payment links over WhatsApp or communicate such payment issues by phone calls.
