Srinagar, Aug 17: The Power Development Department (PDD) in Jammu and Kashmir has reported a surge in fake messages being sent to consumers by scammers. Numerous customers have received legal notices urging them to update their electricity bills immediately to avoid disconnection.
These letters, which appear to be from the Ministry of Power, instruct consumers to call a specific number and speak with a representative to prevent their power from being cut off. The notices warn that if the bill isn’t updated by tonight, the power will be disconnected.
One such fake legal notice reads “Dear Consumer, Your electricity power connection will be disconnected tonight at 09:00 pm because your previous month’s bill was not updated. Please immediately call our electricity officer Mr. Devesh Joshi. We would like to clarify that although we encourage our consumers to always keep updated, you can now update your bill by just calling our electricity helpline number. To update your bill, call our electricity helpline number: 9110339476. Follow our official social media accounts @ministryofpower on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Chief electricity officer.”
A senior official from the PDD told Rising Kashmir that these messages are fraudulent and that the PDD never sends such notices to consumers. He emphasized that anyone receiving such messages should report them to the police immediately.
“This is another way scammers are tricking people and stealing money from their accounts,” the officer said. “It’s important to always verify information before sharing anything. Public authorities often warn us not to share personal details like account numbers, OTPs, or passwords. If you share such details, it makes it easy for scammers to steal your money.”
Consumers are advised to be vigilant and report any suspicious messages to the authorities to prevent falling victim to these scams.
