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Cyber experts have advised that official websites and helpline numbers should be the only point of contact for queries related to electricity services or government schemes
Authorities have warned against unsolicited calls, links, or offers of free benefits. (Representative image)
Cyber criminals in Bihar are now exploiting the lure of government schemes to empty people’s bank accounts. A new racket promising “125 units of free electricity” has come to light, with several residents in Patna and surrounding towns losing huge sums after clicking on fraudulent links or downloading malicious apps.
In Danapur’s Panchsheel Nagar, Prashant Kumar Singh received a message claiming to be from the electricity department. The message promised free power units and contained a link. Believing it to be genuine, Singh clicked on it, and within minutes, Rs 90,000 vanished from his bank account.
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A similar case was reported from Hathidah, where Jai Kumar Singh was also targeted. The fraudsters posed as electricity department officials and shared a similar link. As soon as he accessed it, Rs 1.18 lakh was withdrawn from his account.
In another alarming incident, Ashok Kumar Sharma of Anisabad was told that his electricity meter required an urgent update. He was instructed to download a mobile application. Once installed, the app, suspected to be a remote-access tool, gave the scammers control over his phone. In a matter of minutes, Rs 1.88 lakh was drained from his bank account.
The police have taken note of these rising cases and appealed to the public to stay alert. Authorities warn residents not to trust unsolicited calls, links, or offers of free benefits. Cyber experts further advise that official websites and helpline numbers should be the only point of contact for queries related to electricity services or government schemes.
These back-to-back incidents highlight how cyber fraudsters are exploiting the daily needs of citizens to run sophisticated scams, often leaving victims with devastating financial losses.
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