Cybercriminals Trick Pune Senior Over PNG Bill, Dupe Him of ₹8.91 Lakh

Cyberfraudsters posing over PNG bill scare trick a 62-year-old in Pune into losing ₹8.91 lakh; police register cybercrime case and probe the money trail.

Pune | 28 March, 2026: A 62-year-old resident of Kothrud was allegedly duped of ₹8.91 lakh by cybercriminals posing as officials threatening to disconnect his piped natural gas (PNG) connection, police said on Saturday, highlighting the growing menace of online frauds targeting unsuspecting citizens. The incident was reported to the Kothrud police station, and a cybercrime case is now under investigation as law enforcement tracks the money trail and phone numbers used by the fraudsters.

According to police, the victim — who runs an electrical gadgets manufacturing unit — received a call on 13 November 2025 from an unknown number claiming that his Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited (MNGL) PNG bill for May was unpaid and that his gas connection would be cut off if he did not pay immediately. The caller sent a link and instructed him to pay a nominal fee of ₹8 to initiate the payment process. Believing the warning to be legitimate, the man clicked the link and attempted a payment, but the transaction failed and no immediate payment was completed.

However, when the victim checked his bank balance the next day while in Mahabaleshwar, he discovered to his shock that ₹8.91 lakh had been debited from his bank account through five separate transactions on 13 November. His accountant confirmed that the transfers were unauthorized, prompting him to realise he had fallen victim to a scam. He then filed a complaint with cybercrime police, who initiated a probe and registered a case under relevant cybercrime provisions.

Police sources said the fraudsters used social engineering tactics — a common cybercrime method where criminals gain trust by posing as service providers, utility companies, or officials and then trick victims into divulging personal or financial information. In this case, the threat of PNG connection disconnection served as the bait that prompted the victim to click the malicious link, which may have given the scammers access to sensitive banking and mobile credentials.

An officer from the Kothrud police confirmed that investigators are now tracing the mobile numbers and bank accounts linked to the fraud to identify the perpetrators, and are working with cyber forensic experts to piece together how the scam unfolded. He stressed that such frauds often exploit fear, urgency, and official-sounding threats to deceive victims — tactics that authorities have been warning the public about increasingly.

Cybercrime experts say scavenger scams like this one — where fraudsters emulate utility providers and pressure victims to make instant payments — are on the rise, particularly affecting elderly residents and those unfamiliar with digital security precautions. They recommend that people never click unsolicited payment links, verify genuine contacts through official service provider numbers, and avoid sharing bank or personal details in response to unexpected calls or messages.

The Kothrud police have appealed to anyone who may have received similar suspicious calls to report them immediately, not only to protect themselves but also to aid ongoing investigations that could help disrupt fraudulent networks and potentially recover misappropriated funds.

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