2 Bengaluru residents cheated of Rs 2.7 lakh after clicking on link to pay ‘traffic fine’

In his complaint, Pandey stated that although he had received an OTP for a transaction, he did not share it. Despite this, the transaction was completed, and the amount was deducted from his account, raising concerns over sophisticated phishing methods being used by cybercriminals.

In the second case, Tarani Kumar Sharma, 38, who works at a private firm, reported that Rs 1.6 lakh had been siphoned off from her account using a credit card on Sunday. The police noted that both victims held credit cards issued by the same bank.

The Whitefield police have registered First Information Reports (FIRs) in both cases and are tracking the accused using transaction trails and technical evidence. Senior police officers said that the traffic police do not send payment links or demand fines directly from individuals. They cautioned the public against clicking on random links or files received via SMS or messaging platforms.

In December, several cases involving malicious APK files masquerading as challan notices from the Regional Transport Office (RTO) were registered at the cyber crime police station in Bengaluru’s South East Division. These incidents revealed how fraudsters used fake “traffic challan” APK (Android Package Kit) files to gain access to victims’ phones and bank accounts.

The police said the latest cases indicate that cybercriminals are continuing to exploit the familiar pretext of traffic fines, whether through APK files or payment links, to deceive users. They directed the public to remain vigilant and avoid opening any suspicious files received through emails or on the phone.