Beware of Fraud SMS for Pending E-challans, Police Issue Warning

If you have violated traffic rules and have pending e-challans, be cautious. Fraudsters may attempt to empty your bank account claiming e-challan payment. Vadodara Police urges citizens to stay alert against such cyber criminals and offers tips on safeguarding themselves.

What is the E-Challan Scheme?

Cybercriminals are sending messages that appear genuine to individuals. These messages resemble official traffic violation fines issued by the traffic police. The message states that the person has violated traffic rules and must pay a fine. It also contains a link that the individual is instructed to click on, which is presented as a payment link.

Clicking the link can have serious consequences.

If someone clicks on such a link, they will be taken to a fake website that closely resembles the official traffic police or transportation website. The website will request personal and financial information, claiming it’s required to pay the fine. In some cases, when users click on the link, cybercriminals gain access to their devices. Consequently, users may find their debit and credit cards suddenly empty in such cases.

How to Protect Yourself from E-Challan Scams?

Do not click on any links received via SMS that appear suspicious. If a link takes you to a website claiming to be the traffic police’s official site, exercise caution. Providing your information on such a website can empty your account. If you suspect that you’ve genuinely received an e-challan for a traffic violation, contact the traffic department directly. Do not make any payments without verifying. If a message requests personal or financial information, ignore it. Make payments for e-challans only through the official government website, which in India is https://echallan.parivahan.gov.in.

Fraudulent SMS also gone viral: DCP Traffic

Vadodara DCP Traffic Jyoti Patel revealed in an interview with Divya Bhaskar that on September 9, a state-wide event is scheduled where people with pending e-challans, those who haven’t paid their fines, will receive SMS notifications from the court. However, today we are noticing that fraudulent SMS messages have also gone viral.

Avoid Fraud SMS

They have emphasized that the original link for e-challans is echallan.parivahan.gov.in, while the fraudulent link is echallanparivahan.in. There is a clear difference between the two links. I urge the people of Vadodara to be cautious. If you come across such deceptive links, stay away from them to protect yourself, as falling prey to them can lead to serious consequences, including potential hacking of your bank account.

Handing Over 15,000 to 20,000 E-Challan Cases

In the court, we have handled 15,000 to 20,000 e-challan cases, with 150 to 200 people paying e-challans daily. To combat fraud, we constantly change the links, as these links are sent to individuals via personal messages and also go viral on social media. Therefore, it’s essential not to click on links received in messages or on social media for e-challan payments on mobile devices.