Hyderabad: Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar warned the public about a rising gas KYC cyber fraud in which criminals exploit gas cylinder shortages to steal money from bank accounts.
In a press release issued on Saturday, Sajjanar urged people to remain alert against fraudulent messages seeking gas connection KYC updates or emergency gas bookings.
He said cybercriminals were sending suspicious links through WhatsApp and SMS. These links asked users to update gas connection KYC details or book cylinders urgently.
According to him, clicking such links or installing unknown APK files posed serious risks. He explained that fraudsters gained complete control over a phone once such applications were installed.
As a result, criminals could intercept bank OTPs and confidential messages received on the device. This allowed them to carry out financial transactions without the victim’s knowledge, he said.
Gas KYC cyber fraud cases linked to fake apps and messages
Sajjanar cited a recent gas KYC cyber fraud case reported in the Dombivli area of Maharashtra.
In the incident, cybercriminals called two women while posing as representatives of a well-known gas company. They told the victims that their gas connection KYC had to be updated immediately.
The fraudsters sent an APK file through WhatsApp and asked the women to download it. They were then instructed to fill in personal details within the application.
Soon after installing the file and submitting their information, the victims lost ₹4 lakh from their bank accounts.
Sajjanar warned that criminals were also spreading fake advertisements on social media promising instant gas cylinder deliveries or additional cylinders.
He said any message demanding advance payment for gas supply should be treated as a gas KYC cyber fraud attempt.
Gas KYC cyber fraud prevention steps urged by police
The commissioner advised people not to share bank account details, OTPs or UPI PIN numbers with unknown callers.
He stressed that gas bookings or KYC updates should be done only through official websites and mobile applications of authorised gas companies.
If there were doubts, he suggested that consumers should directly visit their respective gas agency offices for verification.
Sajjanar said public vigilance remained the most effective protection against gas KYC cyber fraud and other online scams.
He also urged victims of cybercrime to report incidents immediately. People could contact the National Cyber Crime Helpline at 1930 or file complaints through the government portal cybercrime.gov.in.
గ్యాస్ కనెక్షన్ కేవైసీ అప్డేట్ పేరుతో ఏపీకే ఫైల్స్.. జాగ్రత్త!!
గ్యాస్ కనెక్షన్ వివరాలు అప్డేట్ చేసుకోవాలంటూ సైబర్ కేటుగాళ్లు సరికొత్త మోసాలు చేస్తున్నారు. మీ మొబైల్కు వాట్సాప్ లేదా ఎస్ఎంఎస్ ద్వారా వచ్చే గుర్తుతెలియని లింక్లు క్లిక్ చేసి, వారు పంపిన ఏపీకే ఫైల్ ఇన్స్టాల్… https://t.co/9MBgrOdRky
— V.C. Sajjanar, IPS (@SajjanarVC_IPS) March 14, 2026