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A woman in Gujarat’s Vadodara lost ₹4.58 lakh from two bank accounts after clicking a fraudulent traffic e-challan link that prompted her to install a mobile application. Cybercriminals allegedly gained access to her phone and carried out unauthorised transactions.
How Did the Fraud Begin?
The victim, Prachi Mishra, a resident of New Sama Road in Vadodara, first received suspicious messages on October 26.
According to her complaint, the messages claimed that she had violated traffic regulations and warned that her driving licence would be suspended unless she paid outstanding fines.
The messages also contained links directing her to take action over the alleged traffic violations. However, Mishra initially ignored the messages because she was occupied with work and did not open the links.
What Happened on October 31?
Five days later, on October 31, Mishra received another message concerning the alleged traffic violation.
This time, the message claimed that her pending e-challan had been forwarded to a court for further action. The reference to court proceedings prompted her to click the link provided in the message.
Instead of directing her to a regular payment page, the link redirected her to an Android application package (APK) file and prompted her to install a mobile application.
What Happened After Clicking the Link?
Soon after following the link, Mishra received a message stating that a one-time password (OTP) had been sent to generate a Unified Payments Interface (UPI) PIN linked to her bank account. The unexpected UPI-related message followed her interaction with the fraudulent e-challan link.
Cybercriminals allegedly used the malicious link to gain access to her mobile phone, compromising information connected to her banking operations. The incident involved a fraudulent traffic penalty notification, an APK file and an unexpected UPI PIN-related OTP message.
How Much Money Was Stolen?
Mishra subsequently discovered that ₹4.58 lakh had been withdrawn from her two bank accounts without her authorisation.
The fraudulent transactions came to light after she had interacted with the link claiming to provide information about her pending traffic challan.
The victim alleged that unidentified cybercriminals had gained unauthorised access to her mobile phone and siphoned off the money.
What Action Have Police Taken?
Following the financial loss, Mishra approached the Cybercrime Police Station in Vadodara and lodged a complaint against unidentified persons. Police received the complaint concerning the fraudulent e-challan messages, suspected mobile phone compromise and unauthorised withdrawals from her bank accounts.
The case highlights how criminals can misuse traffic penalty notices and threats of court action to persuade recipients to open fraudulent links, exposing them to malicious applications and potential financial fraud.
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