Got an e-challan message? It could be a scam: What vehicle owners should know before paying traffic fines
The police have urged vehicle owners to verify pending traffic violations and e-challan details through official government channels before making any payments.
Mangaluru City Police have issued a warning about scams involving fake traffic violation notifications and payment requests. In the past year, eight incidents of such fraud have been reported, leading to losses of ₹44 lakh. Fraudsters are sending SMS and WhatsApp messages claiming that vehicle owners have pending traffic violations and must pay fines.
These messages often include suspicious links or APK files that, when clicked or downloaded, can expose users to cyber fraud. The police have advised vehicle owners not to share personal or banking information through unverified websites or links. To verify any pending traffic violations or e-challan details, people should use official government channels or visit the nearest traffic police station.
The police have cautioned that websites may look legitimate due to their URLs starting with "https://", but they can be fraudulent. Those who receive suspicious e-challan messages should contact the Mangaluru City Police at 0824-2220823 to verify their authenticity.
Written by urgent.news from Live Mint's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
