Mumbai cops duped of ₹10 lakh in e-challan scam
Two Mumbai Police officers lost a total of ₹10 lakh after falling for fake traffic e-challan links shared on WhatsApp.
The scam tricks users into downloading apps that look like official RTO challans but actually take over phones, grabbing OTPs and banking info to make unauthorized transactions.
One officer, part of the governor's security team, lost nearly ₹3 lakh just last week after clicking a link in a WhatsApp group with his police batchmates.
Authorities issue warning, share tips to avoid falling victim
Police believe these fraudulent links are spreading through hacked accounts in groups in which these police personnel are members, and the fraudster can use the compromised phone to send more fraudulent links to other WhatsApp groups once it infects a phone.
Authorities are urging everyone not to click on unknown traffic challan links and to always use verified apps for paying fines.
If you or someone you know gets scammed, report it right away by calling the national cyber helpline at 1930.