Clicking Fake RTO Challan Links Is Costing Victims Lakhs, Cyber Police Issue Advisory

A sharp rise in fake RTO e-challan scams has prompted cyber police in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad to issue fresh warnings, after several residents reported losing large sums of money in recent days. Authorities say fraudsters are taking advantage of people’s familiarity with digital traffic fines to trick them into clicking malicious links or downloading harmful files on their phones.

According to cyber police officials, the scam begins with messages that closely resemble genuine traffic violation alerts. These messages typically say that a traffic challan has been issued for violations like overspeeding or jumping a signal. To pressure the recipient, the message pushes them to click a link or open an attachment immediately, warning of fines or possible legal action if they do not respond.

Once the link is opened or the attachment is downloaded, malware is silently installed on the phone. Police say this allows scammers to take remote control of the device, access banking and UPI apps, read messages, intercept OTPs, and even take over WhatsApp accounts. In multiple recent cases, victims lost several lakhs within minutes of clicking the fake challan alert.

How the Scam Works

Investigators have found that many victims received APK files on WhatsApp, often named something like “RTO Traffic Challan.apk”. The message claims the file contains details of pending fines. After installation, the malware gives attackers deep access to the phone, including contacts, personal data, and financial applications.

In several instances, scammers used the compromised WhatsApp account to forward the same APK file to other contacts, helping the fraud spread quickly. Police also noted attempts to request new e-SIMs, change registered mobile numbers and email IDs, and carry out unauthorised banking transactions.

Cases Reported Locally

In one case from Pune’s Sinhagad Road area, a resident received a WhatsApp message about unpaid challans, followed by a call from someone posing as an RTO official. After following the instructions, the victim lost Rs 5 lakh. In another incident from Chinchwad, a 45-year-old man downloaded a similar APK file and soon found Rs 2.49 lakh withdrawn from his bank account.

Cyber police say many such messages are sent late on Fridays or during public holidays, when it is harder to immediately contact banks. “Fraudsters deliberately target weekends and holidays,” said Senior Police Inspector Ravikiran Nale of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Cyber Police Station.

How to Stay Safe

Police have advised citizens never to download APK files sent via WhatsApp or SMS, as government departments do not share application files directly. Traffic challans should only be checked through official portals such as the Parivahan e-Challan website or by contacting traffic police directly. Users are also urged to avoid opening links from unknown numbers and to report suspicious messages immediately to cyber police or the cyber crime helpline.