"Dear consumer, your electricity will be disconnected tonight at 9:30 pm."
"Your last month's bill was not updated. Contact our officer immediately."
There is a mobile number at the end.
It is an evening, the kids are home, and you do not want the power cut.
Why is this message so convincing?
Everybody pays an electricity bill.
Everybody worries about a sudden cut.
The deadline is a few hours away, so there is no time to think.
That pressure is the whole scam.
What happens if I call the number?
A polite "officer" says your payment did not reflect.
He asks you to pay a small amount to "update" it.
Or he asks you to install an app so he can "help" you pay.
The app lets him see and control your phone.
Then your bank account is emptied.
How do I know it is fake?
Your electricity company does not send disconnection warnings from a personal mobile number.
It does not ask you to call an "officer" to avoid a cut tonight.
It never needs you to install a screen-sharing app to pay a bill.
How do I check whether I really owe anything?
Open your electricity company's official app or website.
Or check the last bill you received.
Pay only through the official app, website, or a known payment app's bill section.
If you are still unsure, call the customer care number printed on your bill.
What if I already paid or installed something?
Uninstall any app they asked you to install.
Call your bank on the number on your card and block your card or account if needed.
Change your banking passwords from a different device.
Call 1930 and report at cybercrime.gov.in.
If you did not lose anything, report the message on Chakshu at sancharsaathi.gov.in.
Things to Remember
- Real electricity companies do not send cut warnings from personal numbers.
- Never call the number in the message.
- Check your bill in the official app or on your last printed bill.
- Never install an app a caller asks you to install.
- Lost money? Call 1930 immediately.