Pune: Fake MNGL Payment Alert Costs Warje Man Rs 6 Lakh
Pune, 6th April 2026: A 64-year-old resident of Warje Malwadi was allegedly duped of Rs 6 lakh by cyber fraudsters after he responded to a message related to payment of a Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited (MNGL) bill sent to his 91-year-old father-in-law’s mobile phone.
According to police, the complainant lodged an FIR at the Warje police station on April 4. The incident took place on March 30 when he had visited his father-in-law, who lives in Kothrud. The elderly man had received a message regarding MNGL bill payment, which included a contact number of a person identifying himself as “MNGL manager Devesh Joshi”.
When the complainant called the number, the person on the other end claimed that although the bill had been paid, the transaction was not updated due to multiple UPI payments made that day. To resolve the issue, the caller sent an APK file and asked for details to update the payment status.
Since the elderly man did not use internet banking, the fraudster obtained the complainant’s number and forwarded the file to him via WhatsApp. After opening the file, the complainant was first asked to transfer Rs 7. He then shared his bank details and, later, a photograph of his debit card as instructed.
Soon after, he received alerts of three transactions of Rs 2 lakh each being debited from his account without his consent. Police said the fraudsters gained access to his phone through the malicious file.
A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act, and further investigation is underway.
