3 men arrested for posing as Delhi Jal Board officials and duping victims through fake app

NEW DELHI: Three men were arrested for posing as Delhi Jal Board (DJB) officials and duping people. They threatened victims, claiming their water connections would be disconnected, and sent APK files to download. Once the victims transferred Rs 12, the accused gained control of their bank accounts and stole money.The accused were identified as Ravi Mandal, Ramesh Kumar Mandal, and Mahendra Kumar Mandal, all residents of Jharkhand.According to the police, on May 12, a resident of RK Puram received a message on his mobile phone from someone posing as an official of the DJB. The message stated: “Dear Customer, your Delhi Jal Board connection will be disconnected tonight at 8.30 PM.

Previous month meter reading was not updated. Please contact DJB.” A contact number was also provided. When the complainant called the number, the person reiterated that his meter reading wasn’t updated and that his water connection would be disconnected. He was then instructed to install a DJB app to resolve the issue.Believing the caller, the complainant downloaded the app, which appeared to be legitimate. The caller then guided him to enter his personal details.

He was also asked to make a nominal payment of Rs 12.After entering his internet banking credentials to initiate the payment, the transaction failed. Soon after, the complainant discovered that Rs 38,161 was fraudulently withdrawn from his bank account through multiple unauthorized transactions.Investigations later revealed that the app was a malicious APK file designed to steal sensitive information under the guise of being an official DJB application.DCP (Southwest) Surendra Choudhary said that a seven-day operation was conducted in Dhanbad, Durgapur, Jamtara, Deogarh, and nearby areas, during which the accused were apprehended. A total of 13 mobile phones and one tablet were recovered from their possession.The accused defrauded victims by sending fake messages about pending Delhi Jal Board bills, claiming that water services would be disconnected. They followed up with a phone call, sent a fraudulent app link, and instructed victims to make a small payment, typically Rs 12, to settle the bill. Once victims entered their banking details, large sums of money were siphoned off from their accounts.