25/08/2026
"Pay your traffic challan immediately or face legal action."
One WhatsApp message.
One click.
And a Vadodara businessman was ₹34.75 lakh poorer — all because he installed an app called "RTO e-challan.apk" that looked official enough to trust.
Turns out, that's the whole trick. The fake e-challan scam doesn't hack your phone — it convinces you to hand over the keys.
A message that looks exactly like a government notice, an urgent tone designed to make you panic first and think later, and a link or APK file that quietly hijacks your banking details the moment you install it.
And, it's not a one-off. In Maharashtra alone, 193 cyber fraud cases tied to fake e-challan links and malicious APK files were registered in 2025, with 36 accused arrested. Victims aren't just the "easily fooled" — they're businessmen, shopkeepers, and everyday vehicle owners who simply got a message that looked real enough.
Here's the one rule that beats every fake challan: the government never sends payment links over SMS or WhatsApp. Ever. Check challans only on the official Parivahan portal — not the link some stranger's number just sent you at 9 PM with "URGENT" in capital letters.
Scammers are betting on your panic. Don't give them satisfaction.