Industrialist Duped of ₹7 Lakh in PNG Gas Connection Fraud in Ballabhgarh

Ballabhgarh: Cybercriminals cheated a local industrialist of nearly ₹7 lakh by falsely claiming to activate his PNG gas connection. The fraud took place between October 13 and October 16, and police have registered a case.

Rajesh Kumar, a resident of Bhatia Colony and owner of Vishal Packaging, said that a gas pipeline had been laid at his house by Adani Gas, but the connection was still inactive. On October 13, he received a call from an unknown mobile number. The caller claimed that his gas bill was pending and that an outstanding amount was showing in their system.

Despite knowing that he did not have an active gas connection, Rajesh Kumar was told that paying just ₹12 online would help activate it. The fraudster sent him a link, and he made the payment.

Three days later, on October 16, two unauthorized transactions—₹49,990 and ₹37,990—were made from his Punjab National Bank account. Soon after, seven more transactions were carried out from his other bank account. In total, about ₹7 lakh was siphoned off.

Realizing that he had been duped, the industrialist immediately blocked both his accounts and approached the police. Officials have launched an investigation to identify the caller and track the fraudulent transactions.

Police have once again warned the public not to click on suspicious links or share banking details with unknown callers posing as service providers.