Udupi: A woman was defrauded of approximately Rs 1.5 lakh by online scammers who exploited the current LPG crisis. Police said a person named Devesh Joshi, who introduced himself as a representative from Mahanagar Gas Ltd Mumbai, called the complainant on March 11. The caller informed the complainant that the payment for gas made online was not updated. Later, a Mahanagar Gas APK app was sent via WhatsApp, which the complainant downloaded. Due to a technical issue, Devesh called again and obtained the bank account number of the complainant’s husband. Later, messages were received on the mobile indicating that amounts of Rs 46,636 and Rs 29,381 were deducted from the complainant’s account in a bank branch in Mumbai. Meanwhile, Rs 69,005 was deducted from the complainant’s husband’s bank account at a branch in Santhekatte. A case has been registered at Udupi town police station under Section 318(4) of the BNS and 66(D) of the IT Act.
