Mangaluru: City police have sounded an alert about fraudulent e-challan messages after eight cases of fake traffic fine notifications were reported this year, with victims collectively losing ₹44 lakh to cybercriminals.
According to media reports quoting Mangaluru Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy CH, fraudsters are targeting vehicle owners through SMS and WhatsApp messages that falsely claim pending traffic violations. Hkcg klxxef anslqlxrku to payment links or srnvrvxqv hbzw to download application files to settle the alleged fines.
Police said such links and malicious APK files can give scammers access to victims’ financial information and expose them to unauthorised transactions. Motorists have been advised against installing applications received from unknown sources or entering banking credentials on unverified websites.
The advisory also cautions people against sharing debit or credit card details, bank account information and one-time passwords (OTPs) through suspicious payment portals.
Vehicle owners can check their challan status through the government’s official e-Challan portal at **https://echallan.parivahan.nic.in**. Payments should be completed only through authorised government platforms.
For notices received through post, residents can also use the official Mangalore One or Karnataka One websites and applications. Alternatively, they can visit a nearby traffic police station to verify the notice and make the payment.
Police have further warned that an HTTPS-enabled website is not necessarily genuine, as fraudulent operators can create imitation portals resembling government platforms.
Anyone receiving a questionable challan notification can approach the nearest traffic police station for verification. Mangaluru City Police have also provided a helpline number, 0824-2220823, to address queries related to e-challan payments.
The warning highlights the growing misuse of government service identities by cybercriminals to deceive people into making fraudulent digital payments.
