Mumbai Hit By New Cyber Fraud: Scammers Pose As MGL Officials, Loot Lakhs With Fake APK Files

Mumbai: A fresh wave of cyber fraud has hit Mumbai, with scammers impersonating officials of Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL) to dupe residents by falsely claiming that their gas bills are pending. Using threatening messages about disconnection of gas supply, the fraudsters are sending malicious links and APK files via WhatsApp and phone calls, gaining access to victims’ mobile phones and siphoning off lakhs of rupees from their bank accounts.

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Lakhs Lost in Recent Weeks

Police said several such cases have been reported across the city in recent weeks, with victims collectively losing lakhs after being tricked into downloading fake applications or entering sensitive banking details under the pretext of updating gas bill payments.

According to an FIR registered at Park Site police station, on March 11, cybercriminals targeted 52-year-old housekeeping businessman Lav Kundar, a resident of Amrut Nagar in Ghatkopar West. The fraudsters sent him a WhatsApp notice claiming his gas bill was not updated and warned that his gas connection would be disconnected. After he clicked on a link shared by them, the accused siphoned off Rs4.84 lakh from his bank account.

Remote Access Trap in Kurla

In another incident, Vaibhav Baliram Rahate, 45, an assistant manager residing in Kamgar Nagar, Kurla East, was threatened with disconnection of his gas supply and asked to download an APK file. Once installed, the fraudsters gained remote access to his mobile phone and withdrew Rs2.75 lakh from his account. Nehru Nagar police have registered a case in connection with the February 28 incident.

On March 8, Samar Chavan, 33, from Kanjurmarg received a call asking him to download an APK file titled “Mahanagar Gas Bill Update Online App.” He was asked to pay a nominal amount of Rs12 to update his bill, but the scammers instead siphoned off Rs2.82 lakh from his account. Park Site oolice have registered a case and begun an investigation.

Ghatkopar Woman Cheated of ₹3.6 Lakh

Similarly, Bhumi Kambidiya, 47, from Ghatkopar was cheated of Rs3.6 lakh after a caller identifying himself as Divesh Sharma from Mahanagar Gas Company sent her an APK file for bill updation. Ghatkopar police have registered a case in the matter.

In another case, Bhushan Advani, 54, from Parel received a message on March 6 stating that his gas bill payment was pending. During a video call, the fraudsters asked him to open the PhonePe application on his phone, after which Rs7.32 lakh was transferred from his account. Bhoiwada police are currently investigating the case.

70-Year-Old Parel Resident Hacked, Loses ₹6.90 Lakh

According to an FIR registered by Kalachowki Police, 70-year-old Ramesh Khurana received a WhatsApp message claiming that his gas bill was pending along with an APK file named “MGL-Gas-Bill-Update.” After installing the file, his phone was hacked and Rs6.90 lakh was stolen from his account.

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In yet another case, Sanjay Bhairbar, 42, an assistant manager working in a company in Vikhroli and residing in Andheri, received a WhatsApp notice on February 24. The fraudsters instructed him to search for the MGL website on Google and enter his gas consumer number and bank details on a BillDesk payment page, resulting in a loss of Rs2 lakh. Park Site police have registered a case and begun an investigation.

Meanwhile, Vilas Teravankar, 45, a resident of Parel, was also duped while he was in Vikhroli for work. Fraudsters called him and sent a link asking him to update his gas bill. After downloading the link, his phone was hacked and Rs2.25 lakh was withdrawn from his bank account.

Police have urged citizens to remain cautious and avoid downloading APK files or clicking on suspicious links sent via WhatsApp or unknown sources claiming to represent utility service providers. Investigations in the cases are ongoing.

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