Hyderabad: Cyber fraudsters are reportedly impersonating the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB), targeting unsuspecting individuals with fake text messages demanding immediate bill payment.

The scam is executed by threatening to disconnect water supply if payments are not cleared, thereby creating panic among consumers.

Several citizens in the city have recently reported receiving SMS alerts from mobile numbers that bear a resemblance to official government service IDs. These messages typically warn about a pending water bill and include a link for instant payment, threatening that the water connection will be disconnected the same night if payment is not made. Recently, a consumer from the ECIL area received such an SMS with a link. Fearing the immediate disconnection of his water supply, he clicked on the link and promptly received a phone call from a person speaking in Hindi. The caller requested him to share personal and bank details. Sensing something suspicious, the consumer disconnected the call.

Cybercrime officials stated that the malicious links redirect victims to fake payment websites designed to mimic the official HMWSSB portal. “The consumers who fall into the trap are asked to enter sensitive bank or card details. Once the details are entered, the fraudsters siphon off funds from the victim’s accounts,” a cybercrime official explained.