Fake e-challan messages are being widely circulated across the state by scammers attempting to dupe people of their money, prompting the Himachal Pradesh Police to issue an advisory alerting the public to the ongoing fraud.
According to the advisory, scammers are sending fake e-challan messages citing offences such as overspeeding, triple riding, rash driving and negligent driving. These messages contain suspicious links which, if clicked, are used to steal personal data such as photographs, videos, contact lists and banking details, besides enabling financial fraud.
In some cases, victims may also receive threatening calls from fraudsters posing as government officials and demanding money.
The police clarified that e-challans are available only on the official government portal – echallan. parivahan.gov.in – and are never sent via SMS. People have been urged to remain cautious of such messages, as the embedded links can lead to theft of sensitive personal and financial information, resulting in identity theft and monetary losses.
The police have appealed to the public to verify challan-related information only through the official government website and to ignore suspicious messages to avoid falling prey to scammers. People have also been advised never to share One Time Passwords (OTPs), PINs or bank details with anyone under any circumstances.
Citizens have been urged to immediately report such messages and dial the toll-free cybercrime helpline number 1930 for prompt action. Timely reporting of cybercrime incidents can help in tracking the fraudsters and recovering the lost money, a senior police officer said.