It started with a message. A simple, unassuming text landed in the inbox of Arvind Sen, a Kolkata resident, at precisely 7:45 PM on a Wednesday night.
“Dear Customer, your electricity connection will be disconnected tonight due to non-payment. Kindly clear your dues immediately. Click here to pay: [suspicious link].”
Wednesday night.
Arvind frowned. “Disconnected? Tonight?” He had paid his bill last week. He was sure of it. Yet, the urgency of the message made his heart skip a beat. What if there had been a mistake?
Instead of clicking the link, he called the number in the message.
“Hello?” A deep voice answered.
“Yes, I received a message saying my electricity will be disconnected. But I already paid my bill,” Arvind said, trying to keep his voice calm.
“Ah, sir, there seems to be a small pending amount of ₹2. It sometimes happens due to tax rounding errors. If you clear it now, your connection will be safe.
Otherwise, the disconnection process will start in two hours. You can use the payment link in the message, or I can guide you through it.”
Arvind hesitated. Two rupees? It sounded ridiculous. But he had heard stories of people losing their electricity connections due to minor dues.
Plus, the last thing he wanted was a power cut in the middle of the night. So, against his better judgment, he clicked the link and paid the amount.
That’s when everything started falling apart.
Within minutes, he received a notification from his bank, ₹50,000 had been debited from his account. His hands went cold. His bank app wouldn’t open, and when he tried calling customer care, his phone showed “network error.”
He had been scammed.
The Return of the Utility Bill Scam
What happened to Arvind isn’t an isolated incident. Kolkata has recently seen a lot of other cases of this utility bill scam, with several victims reporting similar experiences.
The scam works in a deceptively simple way: a fraudulent message warns of an immediate power disconnection, pushing the victim into panic mode.
Once they click the payment link, a small transaction is initiated, enough to gain access to their banking details.
In another case, Priya Das, a homemaker from Ballygunge, received a similar message. Unlike Arvind, she didn’t call the number but messaged her neighbor instead.
“Did you also get this message?”
“No, why?” the neighbor replied.
“They’re saying my electricity will be cut tonight if I don’t pay ₹5.”
Her neighbor immediately called the power company’s customer care.
“That’s a scam. Do not pay anything,” the executive confirmed.
Had Priya acted on impulse, she would have fallen into the same trap.
How the Scam Has Evolved
A year ago, similar scams relied mostly on SMS. But fraudsters have now expanded their reach to WhatsApp and email.
The messages come with legitimate-looking headers, often mimicking official service providers.
Some even include fake helpline numbers that direct victims to call centers run by the scammers themselves.
In some advanced versions of the scam, victims are asked to download remote access apps, under the pretext of “assistance with payment.”
The moment they do, their device is compromised, leading to complete financial devastation.
How to Stay Safe
If you ever receive such a message, here’s what you should do:
- Don’t Panic: Power companies do not send such urgent messages demanding immediate payments via unknown links. Always verify.
- Call the Official Helpline: Use the number from your previous bills or the official website, never from the message itself.
- Never Click Suspicious Links: Even if the amount is tiny, avoid making any transactions via unknown payment portals.
- Inform Others: The elderly and less tech-savvy individuals are the most vulnerable. Educate them about these scams.
Arvind learned his lesson the hard way. But his story is now a cautionary tale for others. If something feels off, it probably is. And sometimes, trusting your gut can save you from losing your hard-earned money.
The utility bill scam is back, stronger, smarter, and more convincing than before. But armed with awareness, we can fight back.
Have you or someone you know encountered a similar scam? Register with us now and get assistance in reporting the fraud on the respective platform.
