The chairman and managing director (CMD) of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has lodged a complaint with the Thiruvananthapuram city police commissioner seeking urgent action against online scamsters attempting to dupe electricity consumers through fake messages.
According to the KSEB, consumers were receiving fake messages on their mobile phones from a gang suspected to be operating from outside the State. B. Ashok, CMD, KSEB, said in his complaint that several consumers, including a former Chief Secretary, had received such messages.
Invariably, the consumers are warned that they have run up dues on their power bills and faced immediate disconnection. Consumers who respond to the messages are tricked into revealing their bank account details that result in money being stolen from their accounts.
In December 2021, the power utility had issued an initial warning to consumers to be on guard against online scams designed to steal sensitive personal information by impersonating KSEB officials. The warning was issued after consumers began receiving the fake messages.
Mr. Ashok has requested the police to bust the racket by involving inter-State intelligence wings in the investigation.
