Jaipur, March 19 (IANS) Amid rising demand and fears of an LPG cylinder shortage in Rajasthan, cyber fraudsters have intensified efforts to dupe residents, prompting the Rajasthan Police to issue a statewide advisory.

The Cyber Crime Branch has cautioned citizens against a surge in online scams linked to gas bookings and subsidy services, acting on the directions of Director General of Police Rajiv Kumar Sharma.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Cyber Crime, Shantanu Kumar Singh, said that fraudsters are exploiting panic among consumers using a mix of social engineering and technical deception.

According to police, scammers are using multiple tactics to target victims. These include creating fake LPG booking websites that mimic official portals to steal banking credentials, and making calls posing as gas agency officials to threaten disconnection of services or suspension of subsidies unless KYC details are updated.

Authorities also flagged fraudulent SMS and WhatsApp messages claiming subsidy issues, which redirect users to phishing links.

In several cases, victims have been persuaded to download remote access applications such as AnyDesk and TeamViewer, enabling criminals to gain control of their devices.

Another common method involves QR code scams, where users are tricked into scanning codes under the pretext of receiving payments.

Police reiterated that scanning a QR code or entering a PIN is never required to receive money.

The Cyber Crime Branch has urged citizens to use only official platforms for LPG-related services and avoid sharing sensitive information such as OTPs, bank details, or Aadhaar numbers.

It also advised the public to remain cautious of unsolicited calls and messages creating urgency.

Users making digital payments through apps like Google Pay and PhonePe have been asked to verify recipient details carefully before completing transactions.

In case of fraud, citizens have been advised to immediately report incidents by calling the national cybercrime helpline 1930, contacting the Cyber Helpdesk, or filing complaints on the official portal.

Police officials emphasised that timely reporting can improve the chances of recovering lost money and help prevent further cybercrimes.

–IANS

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