A text message received on the mobile phone containing information about an unpaid traffic challan with the message that legal action would be taken immediately and immediate payment required is quite startling. The messages are crafted in a way that they make you feel pressured to take an immediate action without questioning the validity of the statement. Though, it happens that sometimes drivers receive requests to pay fines faster and before doing that it is vital to think about the e-challan scam – a deceitful tactic that capitalizes on the drivers’ uncertainty regarding the fines they might receive.
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How E-Challan Scams Operate
E-challan scams work on the basic human fear of traffic penalties which every driver is scared of in one way or the other. Given this, scammers come up with messages that resemble actual communications that come from the traffic authority and use authoritative language perhaps with severe consequences in the offing. These messages are normally accompanied by a link that seems to lead to the receiver’s payment site but its fake.
However, clinking on this link can lead to serious outcomes. The link normally leads one to a cloned website that resembles the actual government site. If a user enters their credit card details, for example, while being in this fake site or enters their login information, they will be endangered to have their data or the money stolen from them.
Furthermore, these links may harm your device by loading malicious software and/or changing commands in your device to steal your information, monitor you, or even control your device.
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Here are some useful tips on how to protect yourself from e-Challan scams:
In order to avoid falling into the hands of fraudulent e-challan agents, you ought to ensure that traffic related notifications are indeed authentic before paying. Real e-challans will contain such details as your registration number of your car and specifics of the violation. In case such specific details cannot be established, this is normally a sign that the communication could be from a rip-off service.
In this case, never pay directly through links that you received in an e-mail message or in an SMS but go directly to the official website of the traffic authority in your country. As a rule, Indian governmental websites have the endings “. gov. in”, so when facing such URL addresses that are different or look dubious you should be cautious.
If you have an idea that you have being victim to a scam, do report to the appropriate authorities. Besides, it benefits you and also safeguards others from falling into similar scams that people with such character devise.
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