Cyber Fraud: A new method of online fraud is spreading rapidly across the country in which SMS are being sent to people in the name of fake “e-challan”. These messages claim that a traffic challan has been issued on your vehicle and it is necessary to pay it immediately to avoid the fine. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center (I4C), working under the Home Ministry, has issued an alert regarding the increasing cases of this type.
How does a phishing trap start?
A link is given in the SMS that the victim receives. As soon as the person clicks on it, he reaches a website which looks exactly like a government portal. In many cases, this page is designed like the official Parivahan portal of the real Ministry of Road Transport and Highways so that people do not get suspicious.
This is where the real deception begins. The website asks the user to fill vehicle number, mobile number, OTP and bank or card related information. As soon as these details are entered, cyber criminals misuse this data to withdraw money from the account or commit further fraud.
Fraudsters take advantage of fear and haste
Often these messages warn of heavy fines or legal action so that the person gets nervous and immediately clicks on the link. Especially in those cities where digital challan system is common, people consider such messages as genuine.
Officials have clarified that valid e-challans are issued only through authorized government platforms. Confirm any information only by visiting the website of the concerned state traffic police or the official Parivahan portal.
Caution is the best safety
I4C has advised people not to click on any unknown SMS link, not to share OTP and never enter banking information on unverified websites. If any fraud occurs, immediately contact the National Cyber Crime Helpline 1930 or file a complaint on the official portal so that the loss can be reduced.
Action on Wingo app and other platforms
The Home Ministry has recently geo-blocked the servers associated with an app called Wingo. It was described as Telecom Mule as a Service platform which was luring money in exchange for SMS tasks and was being used to spread fake links.
Apart from this, many Telegram channels and YouTube videos promoting this app were also blocked. Agencies say that many such apps and networks are active which spread phishing links through SMS. Especially Android users have been warned to avoid downloading suspicious apps.
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