The electricity message that scares people every month. "Dear consumer, your electricity will be disconnected tonight at 9:30 pm because your last month bill was not updated. Please contact our electricity officer immediately."

The number belongs to a scammer. On the call, a polite "officer" says the payment did not reflect and asks for a small amount, often ₹10 or ₹12, to "update" it. He asks the person to install a support app to help. That app gives him control of the phone, and the small payment is used to capture the card or UPI details.

Power companies send bills from their own sender names, not from personal mobile numbers, and never ask you to install a screen-sharing app. Check your bill only in the official app or website of your power company.