Mangaluru: A 41-year-old truck driver allegedly lost Rs 4,26,434 after cybercriminals used a fraudulent traffic violation notification to trick him into downloading a malicious mobile application.
According to the complaint filed with the CEN Crime police, the victim received a message on October 31 at around 9:34 am, claiming that CCTV footage had captured a traffic violation. The notification also contained his truck’s registration number and a link to access the alleged violation details.
Believing the message to be genuine, the driver clicked on the link, following which an application named ‘eChallan (mParivahan)’ was reportedly downloaded onto his mobile phone without his knowledge.
The consequences emerged on November 10, when multiple unauthorised transactions amounting to Rs 4,26,434 were carried out from his savings bank account. The money was transferred to an unidentified account.
The victim subsequently approached the CEN Crime police, who registered a case.
The incident highlights how fraudsters exploit official-looking traffic violation alerts and fake government service applications to gain access to victims’ financial information and steal money.
