Thiruvananthapuram | The Kerala police on Wednesday said fraudsters are taking advantage of the concern among people about LPG cylinder shortages to cheat gullible customers under the guise of gas booking.

Police said that the cyber fraud gangs are becoming active in the state under the guise of carrying out gas bookings and updating bills and taking advantage of the shortage of cylinders to trap consumers.

Detailing their modus operandi, police said first, a text message comes to the mobile phone and then the fraudsters contact the customer via WhatsApp by sending a file named 'Gas Bill Update APK'.

The fraudsters ask customers to install the app for updating gas booking information or pay any pending dues, it said.

However, as soon as the app is installed, the fraudsters get complete control over the phone and are able to access the customer's bank information and UPI PIN numbers.

Subsequently, the customer loses money from their accounts without their knowledge, police said.

It suggested the cautionary methods that can be adopted to avoid being scammed, and these include avoiding clicking on unfamiliar links or installing APK files received via WhatsApp or SMS under any circumstances.

"Use only the official websites or mobile apps of gas agencies for cylinder booking and payments," police said.

It also advised people not to panic when they receive any such urgent messages and to verify their authenticity by contacting their respective gas agencies.

The police also recommended not providing bank details or passwords on unfamiliar websites or apps.

"If you are a victim of cyber fraud, you should immediately register a complaint on the helpline number 1930 or through the portal www.cybercrime.gov.in," it said.