Woman loses money over EB phishing fraud

A 52-year-old woman lost Rs 4.24 lakh after she operated her bank account in a phishing link. The victim is a resident of Alagesan road, Tamil Nadu.

According to police, the victim was contacted by a person who claimed to be Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) staff and sent her a link to pay electricity bill to avoid disconnection of service. Thinking that it was an alert from the department, she sent Rs 10 as trial payment and lost Rs 4.24 lakh from her bank account.

The Cyber cell police have commenced the search for retrieving the money. A senior officer with the Chennai Cyber police wing said that if the victims lodge a complaint immediately with the Cyber wing, the money can be traced and retrieved. He asked the people to contact the cybercrime helpline number 1930 if they fall victim to such a crime.

This is the second fraud committed in the name of TNEB in the district in the last two months. Last month, a man lost Rs 8.7 lakh rupees after he got an SMS stating that his electricity bill was due and to clear it to prevent disconnection. He lodged a complaint with the EB and the Tamil Nadu Cyber security wing. The Cyber police were able to trace and retrieve the money within 20 days but the scamsters could not be arrested.

According to police, EB consumers are sent a SMS which states that the electricity connection would be disconnected if bill details are not updated. The message would prompt the victim to call a mobile phone number. They then offer help to make payment. Once the targets share details of debit card, they steal money from the bank account.