Many Bengaluru residents have fallen into the trap of electricity bill scam. Online scammers are reportedly sending people phishing SMS and getting remote control over their smartphones.

By Divya Bhati: Remember the viral electricity bill scam where people were receiving warnings for the discontinuation of electrical supply if they didn’t pay it urgently? Well, the scam is back in Bengaluru and many residents have already lost lakhs to cyber fraudsters.

In a recent case, a 56-year-old businessman named Aravind Kumar was duped of Rs 4.9 lakh on the pretext of online electricity bill payment. According to a report by The Hindu, the victim is a resident of Chamarajapet, Bengaluru, and has filed a complaint about the online scam with West Division cyber crime police on Saturday.

In the report, he states that he received a call from a man posing as a BESCOM (Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited) official. The caller informed Kumar that his electricity bill is due. And if not paid immediately, then the electrical power supply will be disconnected. When asked how to pay the bill, the caller further sent him a link to download Teamviewer Quick support mobile app. However, as soon as Kumar downloaded the instructed app, the scammer got access to the details of his bank account and transferred all the money to his account. The fraudster allegedly stole Rs 4.9 lakh from the victim’s account.

Cybercriminals using Truecaller link to access remote control over smartphone

While a complaint has been filed in the police station and the case is under investigation, the question remains of how the scam was initiated. Well, Arvind followed the instructions of the caller without any doubt and downloaded the apps. Here it is important to note that apps like Teamviewer Quick support are developed to help users remotely view smartphones or other devices. And scammers are using such apps to trick people. When Kumar downloaded the app and shared the access details, the scammer got remote access to his smartphone where he stole all the banking details saved on his smartphone.

How to stay safe from such scams

While in the above-mentioned case, the victim received a call, in other reported incidents, people received SMS regarding the electricity bill. The message is sent on SMS or WhatsApp and includes a number to contact the office or a phishing link through which scammers use to hack into the smartphones of victims.

Here are some points which will help you check if the SMS you are getting regarding your electricity bill is real or fake.

1. Check where you received a message related to the electricity bill on your smartphone. As all government official alerts are always sent on registered mobile numbers.
2. If you receive a message or call from anyone saying you have to urgently pay your bill. Be alert. Fraudsters often create urgency to panic so that they don’t get time to think and fall into the trap.
3. Read the received message carefully. Check the number from which you received the message. And also check for grammatical errors in the message. Always verify sources before taking any action.
4. In case you have really missed the payment of your electricity bill, contact the electricity board or supplier directly. The contact details are available on your previous electricity bills.
5. Other than electricity bills, fraudsters also send messages related to updates of KYC, accounts hacked, gas connections, and so on. Remember, official government departments never ask people for details or call to help in fi