You get a message. It says your vehicle has a pending traffic challan. The amount is small, maybe ₹500 or ₹1,000. There’s a link to pay immediately.
A Delhi man clicked that link. He lost ₹2.49 lakh.
Here’s how to make sure it doesn’t happen to you.
Fake Traffic Challans Are Draining Bank Accounts
In January 2026, a 65-year-old resident of East Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar received a message on his wife’s phone about a pending traffic challan of ₹500. The link looked real. The payment page looked official. He entered his card details and OTP.
The ₹500 was never charged. Instead, ₹2.49 lakh was debited through unauthorized international transactions.
There was no challan. No violation. No government portal. Only a fake website built to steal his money.
This is not an isolated case. Victims across India, from Nashik to Vadodara to Rajkot, have lost lakhs to the same scam.
The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a nationwide alert. This scam is widespread, sophisticated, and growing.
How the Scam Works
Step 1: You receive an SMS or WhatsApp message claiming a traffic challan is pending against your vehicle.
Step 2: The message shows a small amount, typically ₹500 to ₹3,000, to seem believable.
Step 3: The link takes you to a website that looks exactly like the official Parivahan e-challan portal. But the URL is slightly different. For example, echallan.pasvahan.icu instead of echallan.parivahan.gov.in. One letter changed. That’s all it takes.
Step 4: You enter your vehicle details. The site “confirms” a challan, even for random, invalid vehicle numbers.
Step 5: You enter your card details and OTP. The displayed amount is small, but the actual transaction processed is significantly higher, sometimes in lakhs.
In some cases, clicking the link installs malware (APK files) that can intercept your OTPs, access your SMS, and drain your account silently.
What Victims Tell Us
“The message had my vehicle number. It looked completely real.”
“I thought ₹500 was too small for someone to fake.”
“I didn’t notice the URL was different until it was too late.”
“I was driving and just wanted to clear it quickly.”
These scams are designed to exploit urgency, not carelessness.
Not Sure If That Challan Message Is Real?
Send us a screenshot of the message. We’ll tell you if it’s genuine or a scam.
- WhatsApp: +91 99644 43350
- Email: contact@cybersecify.com
No charges. No judgment.
What Happens When You Contact Us
- We do not report you to the police
- We do not ask for documents or payments
- We do not interrogate or judge
- We only verify whether it’s real or a scam
How to Spot a Fake Traffic Challan
- Check the sender: Real challans come from verified government sender IDs (like DDCSMS or state traffic authority channels), never from random mobile numbers
- Check the URL: Official challan portals always use
.gov.indomains. Anything else (.icu,.live,.xyz,.com) is fake - Check for your vehicle number: Genuine challans always include your registration number. Many fake ones don’t
- Check the pressure: Real government notices don’t threaten immediate arrest or license suspension via SMS
- Check the payment method: The traffic department never sends direct payment links via SMS, WhatsApp, or email
If any of the above red flags are present, it’s a scam.
Already Clicked a Link or Made a Payment?
Act within the first 60 minutes, the “Golden Hour”, to limit your loss.
- Take screenshots of the message, link, and any payment confirmations
- Call your bank immediately and block your card
- Call 1930 (National Cyber Crime Helpline)
- Report at cybercrime.gov.in
- Contact us and we’ll guide you on next steps
Need Help Beyond Verification?
If you’ve already lost money or need to file a complaint:
- We guide you through the FIR filing process
- We help you report on the National Cybercrime Portal
- We assist with documenting evidence for legal proceedings
This is a paid service. WhatsApp: +91 99644 43350 to discuss.
Report Fraud
If you are a victim of online fraud:
- National Cyber Crime Portal: cybercrime.gov.in
- Helpline: 1930
- Sanchar Saathi: sancharsaathi.gov.in
Always Remember
- Do NOT click on any links received from unknown numbers claiming pending challans
- Do NOT share card details, OTPs, CVV, or personal information with anyone
- Do NOT download apps received via WhatsApp or SMS
- Verify challan details only through official portals: echallan.parivahan.gov.in or your state traffic police website
- If you receive any suspicious SMS, e-mail, or call, report it to Sanchar Saathi at sancharsaathi.gov.in
Who We Are
Cyber Secify is a Bengaluru-based cybersecurity consultancy. We help people verify suspicious calls, messages, links, apps, and impersonation attempts before they turn into financial or legal damage.
We are not police. We don’t interrogate. We verify.
Disclaimer: Cyber Secify is an independent cybersecurity consultancy. Not affiliated with any government agency.