LUCKNOW, Sept. 23 -- With 14 FIRs registered over cyber frauds targeting Green Gas consumers, Lucknow police are stepping up their awareness drive under "Operation Digital Kavach" to prevent residents from falling victim to fake company representatives. The campaign will involve coordination with residential welfare associations, bulk SMS alerts, public announcements and posters to warn consumers against fraudulent calls, messages and APK files. Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) (crime) Kiran Yadav said the crime branch was investigating the reported cases, analysing the modus operandi and working with Green Gas to expand consumer awareness. The cyber crime team and Green Gas will coordinate with residential welfare associations (RWAs) in areas with Green Gas connections. The proposed campaign includes awareness programmes with RWAs, periodic bulk SMS alerts, loudspeaker or public announcements in residential areas and posters and banners outside housing societies and at major intersections, according to the ADCP. Residents will be urged to verify any communication claiming to be from Green Gas only through authorised customer-care numbers, the official app or email. The police have also cautioned residents against downloading APK files sent through unknown WhatsApp accounts or SMS numbers. The latest advisory comes after the crime branch found that fraudsters were using available information related to Green Gas consumers to identify and target victims. Similar fraud has also been reported among Green Gas consumers in Agra, the crime branch said. Police cautioned that knowing a consumer's name, address or Green Gas connection details does not by itself establish that the caller is a genuine company representative. The crime branch has also flagged another method allegedly used to move money generated through cyber fraud. During investigations, police found that in some cases, money obtained through cyber fraud was used to pay credit-card, electricity and internet bills. People may be offered a discount or commission to allow another person to pay their bills, with cash or commission allegedly offered in return. In the scam, consumers are contacted through SMS, phone calls or WhatsApp and told that their gas meter or bill has not been updated and their connection could be disconnected. The fraudsters then allegedly send an Android Package Kit (APK) file, often carrying names such as "Meter Update.apk" or "Green Gas Meter Update", and ask consumers to install it to complete the purported update. Installing such an APK can potentially give cybercriminals remote access to the phone, which can then be used to compromise banking-related information and siphon money from accounts....