7 months ago
2
On Sunday (October 5, 2025) afternoon, a lawsuit of the Indian Oil Adani (IOA) City Gas task astatine Vennala successful the Kochi Corporation received a WhatsApp connection informing of work disconnection owed to non-payment of a bill. The connection besides included a interaction number.
The anxious lawsuit called the number, but the telephone was disconnected. This was followed by a WhatsApp telephone from a antheral speaking fluent Hindi, who instructed the lawsuit to wide the measure done the IOA app and portal utilizing a card. However, each attempts failed. He past initiated a WhatsApp video call, though the lawsuit was incapable to spot him.
“He past asked maine to nonstop a representation of the backmost of my paper showing the CVV number, which I declined. Instead, I shared the grid fig connected the backmost of my card. Immediately, I received an OTP for an online outgo of ₹90,000. When I protested, different OTP was generated, this clip for ₹50,000. That’s erstwhile I realised it was a scam and blocked the fig immediately,” said the customer.
It has present emerged that, with the metropolis state task rapidly expanding crossed the Corporation limits, scammers look to beryllium targeting it. Many customers person received akin fraudulent calls, with immoderate adjacent losing wealth by sharing OTPs oregon clicking connected malicious links sent via WhatsApp. The task is presently progressive successful astatine slightest six divisions wrong the Corporation.
“We’ve received galore complaints from customers. I’ve issued alerts done broadcast messages connected our section WhatsApp groups, urging radical to enactment vigilant and not autumn prey to specified frauds,” said C.D. Valsalakumari, councillor of the Vennala division.
The IOA authorities said they were alert of the contented and had already warned customers, including done a announcement connected their portal. “We behaviour spot billing and supply customers with a hard transcript of the bill. We don’t disconnect work abruptly. Customers are contacted lone erstwhile dues transcend ₹5,000, which, for idiosyncratic with a monthly measure of ₹500, could instrumentality up to 10 months. Ultimately, it is the customer’s work to enactment alert and debar a backlog,” said an IOA spokesperson.
Mayor M. Anilkumar said helium would rise the contented astatine an upcoming gathering with the IOA authorities.
Francis Thekkethala, associated caput of the Vennala Sneham Residents Association successful Division 42, said scamsters look to beryllium exploiting the information that billing for the metropolis state task has yet to beryllium streamlined. “Many customers haven’t been capable to wage their bills for months. So erstwhile they’re threatened with work disconnection, they autumn for the scam. We’ve been actively spreading consciousness done societal media groups, urging radical not to panic implicit unpaid bills and assuring them that the dues volition beryllium resolved successful owed people without penalty,” helium added.
