Beware of Fake E-Challan Links: Odisha Issues Urgent Advisory

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has issued a crucial advisory to warn citizens about a rising threat – a fake e-challan scam. They emphasized that legitimate alerts will never come from a mobile number.

The state’s electronic and information technology department, now known as X, has urged people to exercise caution and steer clear of counterfeit links. They advised using only the official website, http://echallan.parivahan.gov.in, for processing traffic challan payments.

According to police sources, scammers have been exploiting text messages by sending malicious links that mimic the government’s online challan payment gateway. These fraudulent messages ask recipients to make online payments ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000.

Clicking on these deceptive links surrenders control of one’s mobile device to the scammers, who swiftly siphon money from victims’ accounts. This compromise extends to phone security, credit/debit card information, and bank account access.

The advisory underscores the urgency of verifying the authenticity of messages related to e-challans by contacting traffic police. Despite the evident threat, no formal complaints have been registered thus far, as per the sources.