Bengaluru: Cyber fraudsters have devised a new trick to dupe unsuspecting citizens by sending fake regional transport office (RTO) and traffic police challans, leading to a sharp rise in online fraud cases across the city. Over the last two to three months, the scam has spread rapidly, preying on people’s fear of penalties and traffic violations. According to police, at least 100 cases related to fake traffic challans have been registered in the past two months. The fraudsters send Android Package Kit (APK) files through SMS and WhatsApp messages, falsely claiming the recipient must pay a fine for traffic violations.
InsetHow the crooks operate: Send messages via SMS or WhatsApp, claiming fines for pending traffic violationsMessages contain APK files posing as RTO or traffic police challansOnce clicked, the phone gets hacked and banking apps are accessedOTPs are generated without the victim’s knowledge and money is siphoned off Safety guidelines:Do not click on suspicious link, download or install APK files received via SMS or WhatsAppOfficial challans are either sent to the registered address of the vehicle owner or uploaded on official govt websiteCheck traffic violations only through Bengaluru traffic police’s ASTraM app and make payments via Bengaluru One or directly at traffic police stationInform your bank immediately if you notice suspicious activityReport the incident by calling the cyber helpline 1930Recent cases under investigationA 63-year-old retired person, Anand PS, from the Central Business District (CBD) area lost Rs 1.9 lakh. He told police that he received an SMS on Dec 26, 2025, asking to pay the fine for a traffic violation Curious, he clicked on the link, entered his vehicle registration number and debit card details, and received an OTP. Soon after, Rs 1.5 lakh was siphoned off. He immediately got his bank account blocked. Later, the bank informed him the total loss amounted to over Rs 1.9 lakhA 44-year-old carpenter, Sanawar Mal Suthar from Vinayakanagar, lost Rs 67,309 after receiving a fake ‘RTO’ message on Dec 18, 2025. He clicked the link days later and entered an OTP, after which money was siphoned offRoopa Prasanna, 45, a software engineer from HBR Layout, lost Rs 5 lakh after clicking a traffic challan link sent from mobile number +91-6201034958 on Jan 16. She entered her debit card details and paid Rs 500 as shown on the portal, only to later discover Rs 5 lakh had been debited from her accountQuote:Neither traffic police nor the RTO send challans through APK files or SMS/WhatsApp messages seeking online payment. RTO has not opened any online payment gateway. Moreover, the RTO usually does not impose fines for violations such as jumping traffic signals, riding against one-way traffic, riding without a helmet or using mobile phones while riding. RTO enforcement mainly focuses on registration, vehicle fitness, pollution certificates and illegal modifications. People usually panic or get curious when they receive a message about a traffic violation. When they click the link, a remote access tool (RAT) gets installed on their phone, enabling fraudsters to view the screen and control the device. They then siphon off funds from banking apps. These are classified as financial frauds— Raja Imam Kasim P, DCP (Crime–2)
