The Information Security Awareness (ISEA) division of MeitY issued a warning on Tuesday, advising citizens to be cautious of falling victim to fraudulent e-challan schemes. This cautionary measure has been implemented in response to the increasing incidence of cybercrimes in various regions of the country.
During a recent media interaction, Hemendra Kumar Meena, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) at Headquarters and the Cyber Crime Officer of Faridabad, disclosed that scammers have started ensnaring unsuspecting individuals through deceptive e-challan payment notifications. According to Meena, these scammers are fabricating and dispatching counterfeit messages that closely resemble legitimate traffic violation notices. However, these messages are entirely misleading in nature.
What Is an e-Challan Scam?
Scammers are disseminating text messages that masquerade as official notifications from the traffic police. These messages inform recipients of a supposed traffic violation that necessitates the payment of a fine. Within these messages, there is a hyperlink urging the recipient to click and settle the fine.
However, when individuals click on the provided link, they are redirected to a fraudulent website that closely mimics the official traffic police site. This counterfeit site prompts users to provide personal and financial information in order to process the fine. Unfortunately, some users, by clicking on these deceptive links, unwittingly grant cybercriminals access to their mobile devices. Once access is gained, these criminals can swiftly empty bank accounts.
How to Identify the Legitimate e-Challan Website?
Genuine e-challan notifications will contain specific vehicle information such as engine and chassis numbers. Scammers manipulate the government website to make it appear convincing to users. The authentic and original link to the e-challan website is: https://echallan.parivahan.gov.in/. Scammers deceptively remove the “.gov” to make it seem like https://echallan.parivahan.in/.
It is crucial for every citizen to verify that the payment link concludes with “.gov.in” to avoid falling victim to scams.
Tips to Avoid e-Challan Scams:
Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself from e-challan scams:
- Familiarize yourself with the official process for receiving e-challans in your area.
- Refrain from clicking on suspicious links.
- If you receive an e-challan notification, verify the details on the official government or traffic police website by entering your vehicle number.
- Authentic notifications will only originate from official sources. Ensure that the sender’s email address or SMS number appears legitimate and matches official communication channels.
- Legitimate e-challans will solely require payment and will not request personal information like PINs, passwords, or sensitive data.
- If you encounter what you suspect to be an e-challan scam, report it to local authorities. Your report can play a crucial role in preventing others from falling victim to these scams.
