'Pay Bills Or No Gas From Tonight': How Scammers Duped People In Mumbai Amid West Asia Crisis

Last Updated:April 26, 2026, 16:37 IST

Over 100 Mahanagar Gas Limited customers in Mumbai lost about Rs 2.7 crore after scammers posing as gas officials used fake bill alerts and malware apps to steal banking data

More than 100 Mumbaikars have been duped of around Rs 2.7 crore in a cyber fraud where scammers posed as gas company officials and threatened to cut connections, police said.

According to a report by NDTV, Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL) customers said the fraudsters sent SMS and WhatsApp messages claiming that the victim’s gas bill was pending and the connection would be “disconnected tonight" if payment was not made immediately.

Victims were then asked to download a mobile application file (APK). Once installed, the malware gave the scammers remote access to their phones, allowing them to steal banking details and siphon off money.

People Targeted Through Fake Calls and App Links

People applying for new gas connections were also targeted through fake calls and app links.

Police said the scam took place amid concerns over gas supply disruptions due to the ongoing Middle East conflict, which fraudsters used to create panic and make their messages appear genuine.

Officials have urged citizens not to download unknown files or share banking details and to verify such messages with authorised gas agencies.

News india 'Pay Bills Or No Gas From Tonight': How Scammers Duped People In Mumbai Amid West Asia Crisis

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