New Delhi, May 11 (IANS): State-owned oil marketing companies Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), Indian Oil Corporation, and Bharat Petroleum have issued urgent advisories warning domestic LPG consumers of rising cyber fraud cases in which fraudsters impersonate official gas delivery services to extract One-Time Passwords (OTPs) and Delivery Authentication Codes (DACs) through fake SMS and WhatsApp messages mimicking delivery notifications. In several reported cases, callers posed as gas agency executives seeking KYC updates or Aadhaar linking to avoid “disconnection” of gas connections, then demanded OTPs to “verify” the requests. HPCL specifically notified customers that official delivery messages will only come from the sender name ‘VM-HPGASc-S’, will contain a four-digit OTP, and are used exclusively at the time of cylinder delivery, firmly stating that “HP Gas representatives will never ask for OTPs over phone calls, WhatsApp messages, or suspicious links.” Indian Oil urged customers to share their six-digit DAC only with Indane delivery personnel strictly after they reach the doorstep, while BPCL reminded consumers that “sharing OTP only at the time of delivery” is the one rule that keeps them safe.
The oil corporations further advised consumers to book cylinders or update personal details only through official applications such as IndianOil One, HPPay, or Hello BPCL, or through verified websites, and to remain wary of communications arriving from personal mobile numbers via WhatsApp. Customers are also urged to be cautious of messages that feel urgent, unfamiliar, or look different from the official format, as these are key indicators of fraudulent activity. In the event that customers accidentally share sensitive details or lose money to such scams, the companies strongly advised calling the National Cyber Crime Helpline at 1930 within the “golden hour” window to maximise the chances of freezing stolen funds before they are moved. The advisories reflect growing concern over the increasing sophistication of cyber fraud targeting ordinary consumers through trusted and familiar service channels.