A shocking case of cyber fraud has emerged from Greater Noida, where scammers posing as employees of Indraprastha Gas Limited allegedly duped a 61-year-old woman of ₹21 lakh by threatening to disconnect her PNG gas connection.
According to police, the fraudsters called the elderly woman claiming that her gas bill was pending and warned that her Piped Natural Gas (PNG) connection would be disconnected immediately if payment was not made.
Fake Payment Link Used to Trap Victim
The victim, identified as Gujib Kalra, a resident of a society in Greater Noida West, said the caller claimed to be an official from the gas company and pressured her to make an urgent payment.
The fraudster then sent a payment link and asked her to clear the pending bill through it.
Fearing that her gas connection might be cut during the ongoing gas supply concerns, the woman opened the link and filled in the required details, including her bank account information.
Rs 21 Lakh Withdrawn in 11 Transactions
Within minutes of entering the information, money started getting debited from her bank account.
According to the complaint, the fraudsters withdrew ₹21 lakh in 11 separate transactions.
The victim realized the fraud only after she received multiple bank alerts on her mobile phone showing repeated withdrawals.
She immediately approached the police and also filed a complaint on the national cybercrime portal.
Police Begin Investigation
Police from the cyber cell have registered a case against unknown accused and launched an investigation.
Cyber Cell Station House Officer Vijay Rana confirmed that the complaint had been received and the case was being investigated.
He said cyber criminals are constantly adopting new tricks to cheat people online and often use fear or urgency to pressure victims into sharing financial information.
Police Issue Public Advisory
Authorities have urged citizens to remain cautious about unknown calls, suspicious payment links, and online requests for bank details.
Officials also advised that in case of cyber fraud, victims should immediately report the incident by:
Calling the National Cyber Helpline 1930
Filing a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in
Prompt reporting increases the chances of freezing transactions and recovering money, police said.
