NEW DELHI: A man lost Rs 4 lakh after receiving a WhatsApp message claiming that a Rs 1,000 traffic challan was pending.The complainant said he received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number claiming to be from “NextGen mParivahan”. The message contained a link warning of a traffic challan of Rs 1,000 and appeared to be associated with the Ministry of Transport.Believing the message to be genuine, Harit clicked the link and downloaded the application. However, no challan details were found after installation.Later, he noticed suspicious activity on his Amazon account. At around 2.59pm, he received an email notification stating that his e-wallet password was changed. Within minutes, the registered email ID linked to his account was altered without authorisation—from his personal Gmail address to an unfamiliar email ID.Shortly thereafter, he began receiving SMS alerts from multiple banks regarding 5 high-value credit card transactions made through an online shopping website, none of which were initiated or approved by him.Police records state that the fraudster allegedly used the victim’s saved credit card details to purchase e-gift cards. The 5 transactions amounted to a total loss of approximately Rs 4,05,000. All the gift cards were reportedly delivered digitally to the fraudster’s email address.Upon discovering the fraud, he filed a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP), and a case was registered under section 318(4) (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) last month.Last month, an elderly resident in east Delhi was defrauded of Rs 2.5 lakh after he clicked on such a fraudulent link to pay a small fine of Rs 500.Police warn that such frauds are on the rise, exploiting people’s fear of fines and legal action. With WhatsApp-based challan alerts now active, scammers send messages via SMS, WhatsApp, and even through PDFs. Some claim to be from the transport ministry or pose as transport officials. These messages often pressure recipients to “process” the payment immediately via a link that mimics official portals.Such links, QR codes, or payment requests from unknown numbers or unverified WhatsApp accounts are a major warning sign, as are urgent messages warning of fines, licence suspension, or legal action, officers caution. Fraudsters may also ask for payment through third-party apps, agents, or unfamiliar websites. They often omit critical details such as notice number, vehicle number, and offence location. The messages may try to collect sensitive information through links instead of redirecting to the official Parivahan portal. Once clicked, these links lead to fake gateways designed to steal banking credentials and withdraw funds without authorisation.
