As digital payments for traffic fines become the norm, cyber-criminals are exploiting the fear of legal action to drain the bank accounts of unsuspecting citizens across Haryana.
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The Trap: The scam begins with a message: “Your vehicle has been cited for a traffic violation. Pay your fine of ₹500 immediately to avoid court summons.” The message includes a link that looks remarkably similar to the official government site (e.g.,
echallan-parivahan.ininstead of the genuineechallan.parivahan.gov.in). -
The Malware Mechanism: Police experts explain that clicking the link often prompts the download of a malicious .APK file. Once installed, this “Trojan horse” allows hackers to read SMS messages, bypass Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), and gain full control over banking apps.
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A High-Stakes Victim: A 46-year-old resident of Gurugram’s Sector 52 recently became a victim of this scheme. Believing he was settling a legitimate fine, he entered his details on a cloned site, leading to 10 unauthorized transactions that wiped out nearly ₹10 lakh from his account.
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Red Flags: Haryana Police highlighted that official challan notifications never come from personal mobile numbers and never include direct payment links via WhatsApp. Legitimate messages always contain specific details like the Engine Number and Chassis Number of the vehicle.
Community Sentiment
“I received a message yesterday for a car I sold three years ago. The link looked so real I almost clicked it out of panic. These scammers are getting better at imitating government branding. It’s scary how one wrong click can ruin you financially,” said a resident of Panchkula.
