India Lawyer Falls Victim to ₹2 Gas Booking Scam: A Cautionary Tale

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Cyber Scammers Use Small Payments to Gain Access to Sensitive Data

A recent case in Prayagraj highlights a new tactic used by cybercriminals to gain access to sensitive data and carry out financial transactions.

A local lawyer lost ₹1.98 lakh after falling prey to a scam involving a ₹2 payment for gas booking verification.
The incident began when the lawyer searched online for a contact number to book an LPG gas cylinder.
A person claiming to be associated with a gas agency contacted the lawyer and asked for a ₹2 “verification fee” to process the booking.
The lawyer paid the amount, but shortly thereafter, their mobile phone was compromised.
Cybercriminals exploited vulnerabilities to gain access to the lawyer’s banking applications and executed multiple transactions, resulting in a total loss of ₹1,98,902.

According to Prof. Triveni Singh, a renowned cybercrime expert, cybercriminals are increasingly using small transactions as entry points to gain control over devices or accounts, leading to significant financial losses.

Experts point out that this type of scam involves small transactions that appear legitimate and risk-free. Once the user complies, fraudsters exploit vulnerabilities to gain access to sensitive data or banking credentials.

Common pretexts used in such scams include gas booking, KYC updates, electricity bill payments, and bank verification processes.

To stay safe, experts advise users to rely only on official websites or mobile applications for services like gas booking. They should verify contact numbers obtained through random online searches before use and avoid making payments without proper authentication.

Additionally, users should not click on unknown links, share sensitive information, or grant screen-sharing permissions to unknown callers.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the matter, examining the mobile number used in the fraud, bank transaction trails, and other technical evidence to identify the network behind the scam.