One such incident recently prompted Hyderabad Commissioner of Police V.C. Sajjanar to issue a public warning. A city resident reportedly lost nearly Rs. 6 lakh after attempting to pay a supposed Rs. 500 traffic fine through a fraudulent website

As traffic enforcement tightens across major Indian cities, a parallel surge in digital fraud is gaining ground. Fake e-challan scams are on the rise in Hyderabad and have now surfaced prominently in Odisha, exploiting motorists’ anxiety during intensified traffic checks and revised penalty regimes.

Police officials say cyber fraudsters are capitalising on heightened enforcement drives, as citizens are more likely to expect traffic challans during such periods. Fraudsters are circulating highly convincing messages that closely resemble official traffic police notifications, leading to a growing number of victims. In many cases, motorists realise they have been cheated only after making payments, sometimes repeatedly.

In Hyderabad, where traffic police have stepped up checks on driving licences, insurance documents and pending violations, cybercriminals have found a target-rich environment. Several motorists have reported receiving SMS and WhatsApp messages claiming that a traffic challan is pending against their vehicles. These messages usually carry payment links that appear authentic at first glance, prompting recipients to act quickly without verifying their legitimacy.

One such incident recently prompted Hyderabad Commissioner of Police V.C. Sajjanar to issue a public warning. A city resident reportedly lost nearly Rs. 6 lakh after attempting to pay a supposed Rs. 500 traffic fine through a fraudulent website. According to police, the victim clicked on a link that redirected him to a portal designed to closely resemble an official government payment page. While entering payment details, the fraudsters allegedly carried out unauthorised international transactions using the victim’s credit card.

Officials say similar complaints continue to emerge. In another case, a motorist received repeated messages claiming a fine of Rs. 2,200 had been imposed for a traffic violation, along with a link urging immediate payment. Believing it to be linked to a past offence, the motorist paid the amount as the message appeared official and did not trigger spam alerts. It was later discovered that the link led to a cloned website that harvested personal and banking information.

The Hyderabad City Cyber Crime Police confirmed that fraudsters are increasingly using WhatsApp in addition to SMS to circulate malicious links and APK files. Once clicked, these files can install malware on smartphones, allowing attackers to access banking applications, intercept OTPs and monitor user activity remotely.

Odisha Police have also issued alerts after detecting a rise in similar fraud patterns. Cyber cells across states warn that these scams are no longer limited to metropolitan areas and tend to spike wherever traffic enforcement drives are underway.

Cyber officials reiterated that government departments do not send payment links through WhatsApp or personal mobile numbers. Citizens have been advised to make challan payments only through authorised government portals or official applications, avoid clicking unknown links, never share OTPs, UPI PINs or card details, and report suspected fraud immediately by contacting their bank and dialling the national cybercrime helpline number 1930.