Gangtok, Dec 16 : A resident of Sajong, Rumtek in Gangtok district has become a victim of cyber fraud after being tricked by a fraudulent WhatsApp message posing as an electricity bill notification.
According to the complaint, the incident occurred on December 15, when the victim received a message from an unknown number claiming that his electricity bill payment had not been updated, even though the bill had already been cleared. The message further stated that a refund of ₹740 was pending and included a link to process the refund.
Believing the message to be genuine, the victim clicked on the link and was redirected to a payment interface, where he was asked to approve a transaction of ₹34,000 through Google Pay. Shortly afterwards, he received an alert confirming that the amount had been debited from his bank account.
When the victim attempted to contact the sender for clarification, the WhatsApp number was found to be blocked, making it clear that he had been cheated.
The victim has since lodged a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) and has been advised to approach Ranipool Police Station for further investigation and necessary action.
Authorities have urged the public to remain cautious and avoid clicking on suspicious links or sharing financial details through unsolicited messages.
