Overview
- Shridhar V reported receiving an SMS claiming a speeding challan that linked to a site mimicking the official e-challan portal.
- The message came from a regular mobile number and used a shortened URL to obscure its destination.
- The spoofed site displayed the Ashoka emblem, showed a ₹500 “urgent payment” demand, and featured a prominent Pay Now button with threatening warnings.
- Screenshots showed the fake domain echallan.pasvahan.icu instead of the official echallan.parivahan.gov.in, with the altered spelling helping the ruse.
- Users on social media described similar messages and some cited losses to related scams, while experts advised verifying challans only on .gov.in portals and never entering bank or card details from unsolicited links.