BESCOM files complaint against cyber criminals for tricking customers: Report

As a precautionary measure, BESCOM has filed a complaint with police to put an end to cybercrime wherein conmen pose as BESCOM officials and loot money from unsuspecting citizens.

Published on: Aug 25, 2022, 15:34:51 IST

By Yamini C S | Edited by Chandrashekar Srinivasan

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Bengaluru's electricity manager BESCOM - the Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company - has filed a complaint with the Cyber Economic and Narcotics police (CEN) regarding cybercriminals tricking citizens.

A gang of fraudsters operating out of Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal have been siphoning off money from Bengaluru citizens by posing as BESCOM officials. (AARP Photo)

Read: Two BESCOM officials held for transformer blast case granted bail

Following incidents of cyber fraud - wherein consumers were cheated by fraudsters posing as BESCOM officers - the company has alerted police to avoid them losing any money, a report by The Times of India said.

The complaint is a preventive measure.

Gangs functioning out of Uttar Pradesh and Bengal have been carrying out cybercrimes by posing as engineers from BESCOM and intimidating consumers in Bengaluru to pay 'bills' instantly, investigations revealed. Police also found the fraudsters threatened to cut citizens' electricity if they failed to pay.

Read: Conmen pose as ACB; target BESCOM officials to extort money

The gangs zeroed in on IT employees and sent them messages in the guise of BESCOM officials. They would send links to unsuspecting individuals for payment purposes, which would then be used to rob and transfer lakhs of rupees from their accounts, according to a statement by BESCOM's general manager for customer relations.

He also clarified BESCOM had neither called its customers nor sent messages to them for payment of bills. Several customers who received such messages recently have gotten in touch with the company on their helpline 1912, after which the BESCOM approached police to prevent further untoward incidents.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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