Cyber scams are on the rise in India. Every day, fraudsters come up with new ways to exploit online services and trick people. Amid a surge in cybercriminal activities, the Faridabad police have issued a warning to citizens about a new fake e-challan scam.
In a recent media interaction, Hemendra Kumar Meena, the DCP Headquarters and Cyber Crime Officer of Faridabad, revealed that scammers are now exploiting the growing popularity of e-challan payments. They are creating and sending fake messages that closely resemble legitimate challans, complete with deceptive links in order to steal money.
What is fake e-challan scam
According to the police, scammers are sending text messages to people that look like they are from the traffic police. The messages say that the recipient has a traffic violation and needs to pay a fine. The messages also include a link that the recipient is instructed to click on to pay the fine.
However, as soon as someone clicks on the link, they are taken to a fake website that looks like the real traffic police website. The website will ask them for their personal and financial information and pay a fine. Or in some cases by clicking on the links sent by cybercriminals, users unknowingly grant hackers access to their mobile devices. Once in control, these criminals can rapidly drain bank accounts or debit/credit card balances.
Officer Meena further explained the difference between genuine and fake e-challan messages. “Genuine e-challan messages include critical vehicle-specific details like engine and chassis numbers. They direct users to the official government site: https://echallan.parivahan.gov.in/. In contrast, fraudulent messages subtly alter the link, removing “.gov” to make it appear as https://echallan.parivahan.in/. It’s essential to ensure that the payment link ends with “.gov.in” for authenticity,” he stressed.
Here are some safety tips to avoid e-challan scam.
How to be safe from e-challan scam
. Do not click on any links in text messages that you are not expecting. These links may take you to a fake website that looks like the real traffic police website. Once you enter your personal and financial information on the fake website, the scammers can steal your money.
. If you think you have received a genuine traffic violation notice, contact the traffic police department directly. Do not make any payments until you have spoken to a traffic police officer.
. Be suspicious of any message that asks for your personal or financial information. Legitimate traffic police officers will never ask for this information over the phone or through text message.
. Only pay e-challans through the official website of the traffic police department. The official website for e-challans in India is https://echallan.parivahan.gov.in/.
Source By: indiatoday
