Discoms warn consumers against falling prey to SMS power bill fraud

Highlighting electricity bill scams as a pan-Indian problem, discoms said a Delhi-based doctor was defrauded of ₹6 lakh after he received a call to update his BSES information

New Delhi

BSES said consumers could pay bills via WhatsApp, through the BRPL and BYPL applications, website and e-wallets. (Representative photo)

Power distribution companies BSES and Tata Power DDL on Tuesday advised consumers to pay their bills only through discom websites, official apps or QR codes on bills, highlighting a series of scams being conducted through fraudulent links on SMSes.

Highlighting electricity bill scams as a pan-Indian problem, discoms said a Delhi-based doctor was defrauded of ₹6 lakh after he received a call to update his information. He was asked to pay a nominal fee of ₹10 through his credit card, but found that over ₹6 lakh was charged to his account as the accused took control of his phone through remote access, according to a complaint filed with the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP).

Discoms also highlighted a fake SMS used in fraud, which read, “Dear consumer, your electricity power will be disconnected. Tonight at 6.30pm from electricity office. because your previous month bill was not update. Please immediately contact with our electricity office at 98635***** Thank you..(sic)”

A BSES spokesperson said, “BSES urges its consumers to stay vigilant and exercise utmost caution when dealing with payment requests and only use bona fide BSES-authorised platforms to make payment of their electricity bills. Moreover, its officials will never ask consumers for their bank or credit/debit card details, CVV number, or OTP.”

BSES said consumers could pay bills via WhatsApp, through the BRPL and BYPL applications, through the website — https://www.bsesdelhi.com/ — through e-wallets like Paytm, PhonePe, Google Pay and Amazon Pay, or QR codes on bills.

Tata Power DDL, which provides electricity to consumers in north and northwest Delhi also said customers were advised to ensure the website URL starts with “https://” before entering sensitive information. “This lets you know that all your communication and data is encrypted as it passes from your browser to the website’s server. Avoid using public computers in places like internet cafes, clubs, hotels, libraries, etc. for online banking. Never respond to emails or phone calls requesting your password or share your password, OTP, card details, or TeamViewer information with anyone,” a Tata Power DDL spokesperson said.

TPDDL said consumers should use its official website — www.tatapower-ddl.com — or call the company’s toll-free numbers —19124 and 1800-208-9124.

An officer with the Delhi Police cybercell said: “We regularly issue advisories on various public platforms, urging people to not click on any links sent from unknown or unverified sources. A little alertness such as carefully reading the message, which usually have grammatical errors, can save them from becoming victims of cyber fraudsters. If one receives a message saying his electricity connection will be disabled due to non-payment, the person should always verify the same from the service providers concerned by contacting their customer care executives.”