Man Loses Rs 92,000 in MNGL Bill Update Scam in Pune
Pune, 11th July 2025: A Pune-based employee of a chemical company fell victim to a cyber fraud and lost ₹92,000 after unknowingly downloading a malicious mobile application, disguised as a bill update tool for MNGL (Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited).
According to officials from Khadak police station, the incident took place on June 23, just days after the victim had reached out to MNGL customer care to share his gas meter readings.
“The complainant had recently availed an MNGL connection and had sent an email to customer support with a photo of the meter reading on June 19,” said a police officer. A few days later, he received a phone call from someone claiming to be from the MNGL bill update department.
The caller reportedly informed the man about two procedures required to update his bill—one through physical verification and the other via mobile application. He was then asked to pay a nominal verification fee of ₹7.
“The fraudster sent a link to download an APK (Android Package Kit) file, which appeared to be associated with MNGL,” the officer added. Trusting the caller, the victim clicked on the link and entered his details in the app.
Although he refrained from completing the ₹7 payment, he had unknowingly given remote access to his phone and bank details.
Sensing something suspicious, the victim immediately transferred the remaining balance from his account to another account he controlled.
However, it was too late—the cybercriminals had already accessed his banking apps and withdrew ₹92,000 from three separate bank accounts.
After a preliminary investigation, Khadak police registered a case and are continuing efforts to trace the culprits. Authorities have urged citizens to avoid downloading APK files or clicking on unknown links, especially those related to billing or banking updates.
Cyber experts also advise verifying the authenticity of such communication through official company channels before proceeding with any app downloads or payments.
