HYDERABAD: Fraudsters always come up with different ways to loot people and this time they have set their focus on electricity consumers. As part of their plans, the fraudsters contact consumers and warn them of snapping the power supply if the ‘pending’ bill is not paid immediately.
According to the Telangana Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TSSPDCL), fraudsters are currently targeting old people and retired employees to dupe them in the name of power bills. Previously, some unidentified persons had looted a retired judge of Rs 45,000 after he was asked to clear the pending electricity bills.
One of the fake messages which has been doing the rounds say: “Dear consumer, the electricity connection to your house will be disconnected after 10.30 pm today, as you have not updated the previous month’s bill. To keep continuing your connection, please contact our electricity power consumer support immediately”.
TSSPDCL came to know that power consumers were being deceived via fraudulent messages. These fraudsters ask the consumers to call the electricity officer on 9692848762 to pay the bills. In the past too, some people contacted customers via text messages or over phones and fraudulently took their bank account and debit card details and withdrew money from their accounts by threatening to cut off the power supply overnight if they did not pay ‘pending’ electricity bills immediately.
Officials said that if any person calls or texts them stating that their electricity bill was pending, they should check the details of their payment on the company’s website www.tssouthernpower.com and the TSSPDCL mobile app. The company does not shut down the power supply overnight/midnight, officials added. They have requested consumers not to respond to such messages.
‘Do not share details’
Department employees never collect the details of bank account, debit card or credit card, except the payment receipt bill and the company cannot send any website links through SMS for payment of bills.