The police are now receiving complaints that cyber frauds are getting angry and sending abusive and lewd messages after failing to cheating people through the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) electricity bill payment scam.
An incident has been reported where 56-year-old Chowda Reddy’s WhatsApp account was hacked by a fraudster who started uploading nude pictures on his apartment WhatsApp group through his account after Mr. Reddy refused to share his bank account details. Mr. Reddy is a resident of an apartment in Yelahanka and is a part of the WhatsApp group of the residents of the apartment.
Mr. Reddy filed a complaint with the north east division cyber crime police on Monday. Based on the complaint, the police are trying to track down the accused who, according to the police, is part of the gang which had duped many people through the electricity bill scam.
An enraged fraudster
In his complaint, Mr. Reddy said that he received a message on his phone informing that his electricity bill was due to be paid and that the power will be disconnected if the bill is not paid immediately. The message also had a link and contact number, which Reddy ignored and paid the bill through a different mode. A few minutes later, he received a call from a person informing that the bill had not been paid, to which Reddy replied that he has already made the payment and got the receipt.
The caller started insisting on sharing the details of the bill payment and bank account, making Mr. Reddy grow suspicious and disconnect the call. Enraged by this, the caller hacked into his WhatsApp account and started uploading nude pictures on one of the WhatsApp groups of his apartment. The incident came to light when some of his neighbours called Mr. Reddy to inform him about the pictures. When Mr. Reddy tried to check his WhatsApp account, it was blocked. Worried, he rushed to the cyber crime police and filed a complaint.
It may be recalled that Bescom had also complained to the cyber crime police about its consumers getting fraudulent texts of discontinuation of electricity supply owing to non-payment of bills.
Bescom also clarified that the texts were fake and it does not insist on payments of bills through text messages.
Bescom issues clarification
Bescom clarified on Thursday that customers will have 15 days from the date of issue of the bill for the payment to be made, after a video started circulating on social media claiming that a window of six months will be available for payment of electricity bills from the date of issue.
“According to the provisions of KERC, customers will have 15 days from the date of issue of bills to pay their bills. It can be paid at Bengaluru One, Bescom offices and through the Bescom Mitra App, website and Google Pay app only,” a press release said. Legal action will also be taken against the maker of the video, officials said.
