Elderly Guwahati couple receives text to pay electricity bill, gets duped of over Rs 7 lakh
First Published: 8th April, 2023 19:06 IST
The husband’s account was debited Rs 4,13,900 and the wife’s account was debited with Rs. 3,47,100, totally to Rs 7.61 lakh
In a very sad incident, an elderly couple from Guwahati fell prey to fraudsters who siphoned off over Rs. 7 lakhs from two different bank accounts belonging to the victims. The couple hails from the Geetanagar area of Guwahati.
The husband, identified as Dinesh Chandra Dutta, received a message from a special unidentified number that warned him that their electricity line would be cut off within the next few minutes if they didn’t recharge their electricity bill. The message instructed them to recharge a phone number with Rs. 100 or face disconnection.
The couple panicked and immediately recharged the amount by sending Rs 100 to the said phone number. Soon after, they discovered that their savings account was debited with Rs 7,61,000. Dinesh Dutta lost Rs. 4,13,900 from his account while his wife lost Rs. 3,47,100 from her bank account.
The wife stated that she heard her husband talking to someone over the phone regarding the electricity bill recharge. The caller gave a warning that if they did not recharge, the electricity line would be cut off within the next few minutes. The couple had already paid the bill, but the caller claimed that they had not received it and instructed them to recharge again. After calling a number provided by the fraudsters, they were asked to make an Rs. 100 recharge. Dinesh made the payment through the APDCL app, but the transaction failed due to a malfunction. The fraudsters then directed them to recharge with a different phone and took the wife’s phone to make the payment. They were then instructed to click on a link, and the victims lost their savings.
Also Read : ‘It has become Rahul Gandhi’s Taqiya Kalam to say – Jaane Do’: Ghulam Nabi on why Himanta Biswa left Cong
COMMENTS
TOPMOST STORY NOW
Live Brother of BSF Jawan Deepak Chingakham Who Died in Cross-Border Firing by Pakistan in Jammu Appointed ASI in Manipur Police on Compassionate Grounds
11th July 2025
Live Maikhuli Villagers Protest MoU Over Assam-Meghalaya Border, Demand Return of Fishery
11th July 2025
Live Chhangur Baba Received Rs 500 Crore in Foreign Funds for Illegal Conversions: Anti-Terror Squad
11th July 2025
Live Taiwan Detects 9 Chinese Warships, 1 Aircraft Breaching ADIZ Amid Rising Tensions
11th July 2025
WE RECOMMEND
Shubhanshu Shukla Speaks to Students from Assam and Meghalaya from Space, Tells Them He Will Guide Them To Become Astronauts, Walk on the Moon
The Indian astronaut connected with the students using amateur (Ham) radio, making it a rare and inspiring moment.
11th July 2025
Assam Cabinet Approves Financial Assistance for Class 10 Students, Strict Rules for Hospitals
The amount is intended to help students purchase essential academic and nutritional items.
11th July 2025
Centre Sanctions Rs 1,066 Cr For Flood And Landslide Hit Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya and Mizoram
These states have experienced heavy rainfall, massive flooding, and multiple landslides during this monsoon season.
10th July 2025
Manipuri Community in Assam’s Silchar Stages Protest Demanding Autonomous Council
Manipuri Community in Assam: Demonstrators emphasised that the creation of the council is a constitutional right of the Manipuri community.
10th July 2025
Armed Robbers Loot Assam Businessman of Gold and Lakhs in Cash, Leaves Him Seriously Injured
The incident happened around 2 AM on Wednesday at the house of Junaid Ahmed, a well-known businessman in the area.
10th July 2025