A 45-year-old software engineer filed a complaint that he was duped in a phishing scam involving a fake transport challan payment link.
According to the complaint, on January 16, the victim received a text message containing a link that he was awaiting settlement of a traffic challan of ₹500. He clicked on the link and proceeded to pay.
While the website showed a payment amount of ₹500, after the complainant entered his card credentials, an amount of ₹5,00,000 was deducted from his bank credit card. Realizing that he had been defrauded, the victim immediately contacted his bank and later contacted the police. A case has been registered and further investigation is underway to trace the accused and recover the amount.
Senior officials of the Bengaluru traffic police have advised people not to respond to such fine notices. The police will not send any such information to individual accounts, the police officer specified.
Published – 20 Jan 2026 19:26 IST
