A resident of Chandigarh fell victim to cyber fraudsters who swindled him out of Rs 1.63 lakh under the pretext of an online traffic challan payment. The incident highlights the growing menace of phishing scams targeting unsuspecting citizens.
The Incident
Hansraj, a resident of Sector 29 in Chandigarh, filed a complaint with the police stating that on January 20, he received an SMS about an online traffic challan. He visited the traffic police lines in Sector 29, where officials informed him that payment details would be sent via SMS. Subsequently, he received another message containing a link, claiming his vehicle had violated traffic rules and directing immediate payment to avoid legal action. The link appeared to be an official government website.
Upon clicking the link, Hansraj was taken to a website that displayed challan details and an option to pay Rs 1,000. He entered his credit card information and the OTP received on his phone. The website initially showed an "under process" status, but later, an unauthorized withdrawal of Rs 1,63,498 was made from his credit card account.
Hansraj immediately blocked his credit card and contacted the bank's customer care. He then filed a complaint at the cyber police station in Sector 17. The police have registered a case, but no arrests have been made so far.
How to Identify Fake E-Challan Messages
Police have issued guidelines to help citizens identify fraudulent messages:
- Check the URL: Fraudulent messages often contain links with extensions like .in, .vip, or e-challanlink instead of official government URLs.
- Sender ID: Authentic traffic police challans are issued from authorized SMS gateways, while fake ones frequently come from standard 10-digit mobile numbers.
- Urgency and Threats: Fake messages demand immediate payment within hours or threaten severe actions like arrest warrants or vehicle impoundment.
- Lack of Specifics: Scam messages often omit specific details such as your exact vehicle registration number, challan number, or precise location of the offence.
Precautionary Measures
Citizens are advised to verify any challan-related communication by visiting the official traffic police website or contacting the local traffic police office directly. Avoid clicking on links from unknown sources and never share sensitive financial information on unverified websites. In case of suspicion, report the incident to the cyber crime helpline or nearest police station immediately.
