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Mumbai Comedian’s Post Exposes Convincing E‑Challan Phishing Using Lookalike Parivahan Site

The alert arrived via a regular-number SMS with a shortened link that masked a convincing clone of the Parivahan portal.

Overview

  • The fraudulent page used the address echallan.pasvahan.icu, closely resembling the official echallan.parivahan.gov.in domain.
  • The site displayed an urgent notice demanding a ₹500 payment and mimicked government branding, including the Ashoka emblem.
  • Inputs such as vehicle or driving licence numbers were echoed back on the next screen to create the illusion of authentic records.
  • Multiple users reported receiving similar texts, and one person cited a ₹999 loss to a related fake HSRP number-plate website.
  • Experts urged users to verify challans only on .gov.in portals, avoid links in unsolicited messages, and never enter card details on unverified sites.