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@article{202471,
        author = {Himani Bagale and Harshada Bhumkar and Shaurya Umale and Pushkar Joshi and Abhijeet Shejwal},
        title = {Smart Electricity Theft and Meter Bypass Detection},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {12},
        pages = {7782-7784},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=202471},
        abstract = {Electricity theft remains a significant challenge for power distribution companies in both urban and rural areas. Traditional detection methods rely on physical inspections and manual audits. These approaches can be slow, costly, and ineffective against modern tactics like bypassing meters, illegal tapping, and changing smart meter readings. This paper presents an intelligent electricity theft detection system that uses smart metering technology, real-time monitoring, and anomaly detection methods to spot suspicious consumption patterns. The proposed system consistently compares power distribution data at the feeder level with individual consumer usage patterns to find discrepancies that may suggest unauthorized electricity use. By combining Internet of Things (IoT) sensors with machine learning techniques for spotting anomalies, the framework can identify unusual consumption trends, sudden changes in load, and meter tampering events more accurately. The system also generates alerts automatically for utility authorities, which decreases reliance on manual monitoring and allows for quicker responses. Besides improving detection, this approach aims to lower non-technical losses, increase billing transparency, and aid in creating a secure smart-grid infrastructure. The research demonstrates how combining data analysis with smart energy systems can lead to effective and scalable electricity monitoring solutions for future digital power networks.},
        keywords = {Electricity Theft, detection, machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT)},
        month = {May},
        }