Be Alert for Phony E-Challan Scam: Click and Risk Losing Access to Your Bank Account
Authorities have issued a warning about a new online scam involving fake Traffic Police invoices. Cybercriminals are using these invoices to deceive people and steal their money. The Information Security Awareness (ISEA) by MeitY has sent out an alert about this fake e-challan scam. They have shared an easily understandable graphic on X (formerly Twitter) to warn everyone, stating, “Be cautious! Do not click on any links if you receive a traffic challan.”
It added, “Don’t fall for fake E-Challan scam! Your security is your responsibility.”
X’s post also warned of the consequences of clicking on these fake links. It explained: “Clicking on these payment links allows scammers to hack your account.”
ISEA also presented an example of this e-challan message which reads: “Your challan number is 348915784195032, PB08DJ8182 with a total amount of Rs.500. For online payment of challan visit https://echallanparivahan.in/ can also contact RTO office for disposal of challan. Regards, RTO.”
This was actually a fake link where people unaware of the fraud had their bank accounts hacked!
The genuine link was also provided and this was: https://echallan.parivahan.gov.in/.
If you receive such scam messages, remember to be very careful and confirm the link you click. All you need is a simple Google search and all the details will be revealed if you do it right.
DCP Headquarters and Cyber Crime Officer Hemendra Kumar Meena told Times of India about the scam and warned the general public about these fake e-challan links being circulated online.
How the scam works
These links are sent to the public as text messages and appear to be genuinely provided by the traffic police. However, the truth is far from it as the link takes the user to a fake e-challan site. The user is then asked to add their bank details to these links to make the payment. Those who do so have put their bank accounts at risk.
How to stay safe
Two things that people need to look out for are the “gov.in” entry in the URL, which indicates that it is a government website, and important vehicle information such as engine and chassis numbers.
