Recently, internet users have become aware of a new digital arrest scam where several victims lost significant sums of money. This scam, known as the e-challan scam, deceives unsuspecting individuals into paying fraudulent e-challan fines for alleged traffic violations. In response to the surge of these scams, the government has issued warnings to vehicle owners about how cybercriminals target them, providing guidance on identifying and protecting themselves from such scams.
An e-challan is a digital ticket issued to vehicle owners for traffic rule violations by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). Violations are detected through various means, including traffic cameras at intersections and roads, handheld devices used by traffic police, and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems deployed at different locations.
When a vehicle owner violates a traffic rule, law enforcement records the violation, and the owner typically receives a message requesting payment of a fine through online or offline methods. In cases of scams, however, the owner may receive a similar message from unofficial sources. These fraudulent messages, which can be difficult to differentiate from legitimate ones, often come from unknown numbers, informing the owner of a fine for a traffic violation.
The scam messages often include the owner’s name, vehicle registration number, and sometimes even the driving license number, making them appear authentic. Typically, these messages contain a URL claiming it will allow the vehicle owner to pay the fine and clear their name from the list of violators. However, these links redirect users to a fraudulent website that mimics the official MoRTH site, designed to collect sensitive bank account or card information once entered.
To identify e-challan scams, watch for messages sent from unknown numbers rather than from MoRTH’s registered contacts. The link included in the message will often have domains other than “gov.in,” which are associated with legitimate Indian government websites. According to Hemendra Kumar Meena, Faridabad’s DCP Headquarters and Cyber Crime Officer, “Genuine e-challan messages include critical vehicle-specific details like engine and chassis numbers. They direct users to the official government site: echallan.parivahan.gov.in. In contrast, fraudulent messages subtly alter the link, removing “.gov” to make it appear as echallan.parivahan.in. It’s essential to ensure that the payment link ends with “gov.in” for authenticity.”
