Ahmedabad: An elderly couple from Odhav allegedly lost Rs 3.9 lakh to cyberfraudsters who impersonated Adani Gas representatives and claimed their household gas connection would be disconnected unless an outstanding bill of Rs 13 was paid online.According to the complaint filed by a 60-year-old resident, the incident took place on Aug 27 when the couple received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number stating that their gas connection would be disconnected by 9.30pm. When they tried to contact the sender, they later received a video call from another unknown number.The caller allegedly introduced himself as an Adani Gas representative and claimed that the couple’s previous gas bill had not been uploaded properly. The fraudster then instructed them to make an online payment of Rs 13 to avoid disconnection.The couple followed the instructions and opened an application on their mobile phone. During the process, details related to three of their bank accounts were allegedly entered into the application. The caller also obtained the last four digits of an Aadhaar card from the complainant.Soon after the call ended, the couple began receiving alerts about unauthorised withdrawals from their bank accounts. They immediately approached their bank and reported the suspected fraud.According to the complaint, Rs 2.3 lakh was initially withdrawn from one account. Further unauthorised transactions included Rs 62,655 and multiple withdrawals. Additional transactions were carried out subsequently, taking the total loss to about Rs 3.9 lakh.The victims contacted the 1930 cybercrime helpline several times between Aug 27 and 30 and lodged complaints regarding fraudulent transactions. A formal complaint was later registered with Odhav police on Friday, and an investigation has been initiated.
