Beware of fake e-challan scam: Delhi Police issues advisory
What is the scam all about?
According to an official from the Cyber Unit of a district in Delhi Police, fake messages are sent by scammers, mentioning the challan amount along with the recipient's contact details and vehicle registration number.
Through these messages, fraudsters also send APK (Android Package Kit) files.
Fearing the challans, people often click on the links, which results in their mobile phones getting hacked, leading to cyber fraud. The fraudsters also gain remote access to their devices, the official said.
How can one tell it's a scam?
The Delhi Traffic Police, with the help of CCTV cameras, captures the registration number of any vehicle found violating traffic rules and sends the challan to the vehicle owners via a text message.
'The first red flag is that the Traffic Police never send messages to customers via WhatsApp. The second red flag is the APK file link — echallanparivahan.in — sent by the fraudsters. People should always verify information using the official government website, which is echallan.parivahan.gov.in,' the official said.
The official further said that even if a citizen receives a challan via SMS, they should first verify it through the official website before proceeding with any payment.
The official reiterated that citizens should not open any links sent via WhatsApp or text messages.
The official said that cyber units in several districts of Delhi have received multiple complaints of such fraud involving a similar modus operandi. The cases are currently under investigation.
What do you do if you've been cheated?
The official said that if a citizen realizes they have been cheated, they should immediately contact the local police or call 1930, the helpline number for reporting cyber frauds.
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