Hyderabad: The Hyderabad City Cyber Crime Police alerts the citizens about a growing cyber fraud involving fake e-Challan payment links being circulated through SMS and WhatsApp messages.

According to police, unknown cyber fraudsters are sending deceptive messages claiming that vehicle traffic challans are pending and urging recipients to make immediate payment through a provided link. These fraudulent links are designed to closely resemble official government websites, thereby misleading the public.

“Upon clicking the fake link, users are prompted to enter the vehicle registration number, after which a challan amount is displayed. When victims proceed to make the payment, malicious software gets installed on their mobile phones or their banking credentials are compromised, resulting in unauthorised transactions and mobile hacking,” said V Aravind Babu, DCP, Cyber Crimes Unit.

On Wednesday, Hyderabad City police advised the citizens through social media and posted, “A citizen lost approximately Rs 6 lakh after clicking a fake e-challan link. The website looked exactly like the official police portal. After he tried to pay a Rs 500 fine, fraudsters withdrew €6,900 (around Rs 6 lakh) from his credit card through unauthorised international transactions,” the commissioner posted on X.

Sajjanar advised not to pay fines via links received in SMS. Always visit the official echallan.parivahan.gov.in or the State Traffic Police website directly. The Cyber Crime Police advised citizens that the traffic challan payments should be made only through official government portals. Police asked not to click on suspicious or unknown links received via SMS, WhatsApp, or social media. Government departments do not send payment links via WhatsApp or personal messages.

Not to share OTP, UPI PIN, debit/credit card details, or personal information on unverified websites. Install apps only from official app stores and ensure your mobile phone is updated with the latest security patches and antivirus software.