Udupi: Elderly Man Loses Rs 9.78 Lakh in Gas Bill Update Fraud
Udupi: A significant online fraud case was reported in Udupi, where an elderly resident was swindled out of Rs 9.78 lakh under the guise of a pending gas bill payment.
Mangala Ravidasa Nayak (64), residing at Himalaya Pearl Apartment in Shivalli village, filed a complaint detailing how her husband, Ravidasa Raghavendra Nayak, fell victim to the scam. On March 17, 2026, at approximately 2:30 PM, Mr. Nayak received a call from an unidentified individual claiming a Rs 20 gas bill was overdue and required immediate payment.
Shortly after the call, a WhatsApp message was sent from the number 8294278381. The message contained an APK file labeled “Mahanagar Gas Bill Update.apk.” Upon opening the file, the fraudster manipulated Mr. Nayak into believing that payment could be facilitated through his bank accounts. The perpetrator extracted sensitive information, including debit card and net banking credentials for Mr. Nayak’s Bandhan Bank and Yes Bank accounts, as well as details of his HDFC Bank credit card.
The accused subsequently executed unauthorized transactions, siphoning a total of Rs 9,78,036.50 from Mr. Nayak’s Bandhan Bank, Yes Bank, and HDFC Bank accounts. This fraudulent activity resulted in substantial financial loss for the victim.
The Cyber Crime Police Station registered the case under Crime No. 14/2026, invoking Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act, along with Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). An investigation is currently underway to apprehend the perpetrators and recover the defrauded funds.