Phishing link in traffic penalty message swindles techie

Cyber fraudsters impersonating Bengaluru traffic police have cheated a software employee out of ₹2.32 lakh by exploiting a routine traffic violation penalty notice.

On January 26, the victim received an SMS on his mobile number claiming he had to pay a ₹500 fine for a traffic rule violation. The message included a link directing him to what appeared to be an official payment page.

Believing it to be genuine, the tech professional entered his credit card number and CVV to settle the amount. Instead of a small fine, ₹2.23 lakh was immediately transferred to the fraudsters’ account.

Realising the deception moments later, he rushed to the Whitefield Cyber Crime (CEN) Police Station to lodge a complaint. An FIR has been registered, and investigators are currently collecting details of the recipient bank account to trace the money trail and identify the culprits, police said.

Authorities have issued several important safety advisories to help the public avoid falling victim to similar cyber scams. People are urged not to respond to any unsolicited SMS messages, links, QR codes, or APK files received from unknown sources. Apps should only be downloaded from official platforms such as the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.

Under no circumstances should individuals share personal information, bank passbook details, passwords, OTPs, or online account credentials with anyone. To strengthen protection against cyber threats, it is essential to regularly update smartphones, computers, and all applications.

For those who need to pay genuine traffic fines, safe and official channels are available. Payments can be made securely through the BTP Astra app, the Karnataka State Police (KSP) app, the Bengaluru Traffic Police portal, or the Karnataka One website by entering the vehicle registration number to check and settle any pending challans.