MANSI BHAMBRI / Dehradun
At a time when cybercriminals are increasingly using threatening government actions to scam citizens, the Transport department asked residents to stay vigilant and not to panic or take hasty actions based on such messages. It is important to note that incidents of cybercrime in the name of the Transport department—such as fake Challan messages—have observed, leaving innocent residents as victims. Recently, a case in Dehradun revealed a man who lost nearly Rs three lakh after clicking on a fraudulent RTO Challan link sent to his mobile number.
In light of this, deputy transport commissioner Shailesh Tiwari has expressed concerns and emphasised the need for citizens to be able to identify authorised links from the department. He advised that if citizens receive any SMS related to Challans for overspeeding or other offenses, they should first check the source of the message. If the SMS comes from a private number, it is a clear indication that it is a fake message, as the department’s genuine SMS will always include VAAHAN written instead of a private number.
Further, Tiwari pointed out that if a message prompts the recipient to click on a link to pay a Challan or for any other concerns, it is crucial to assess whether the link is legitimate. Official links from any government department, whether its Transport department or other will typically include “.gov.in“, which is an indicator of validity. If the link does not contain “.gov.in“, it is likely fraudulent, he said.
He further added that in cases where citizens are still unsure whether a challan link is genuine or not, they should avoid clicking on the received link and instead visit the official website: https://echallan.parivahan.gov.in/. This link is managed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and serves as a single portal across India for challan-related matters. By accessing this site, citizens can check if any challans have been issued for their vehicle and make payments online, helping them to avoid falling victim to cybercrime, he said.
