A near-miss experienced by a Mumbai-based stand-up comedian has drawn fresh attention to a fake traffic challan scam that is quietly circulating through convincing SMS messages and lookalike government websites.
‘Urgent fine’ message raises alarm
Comedian Shridhar V shared how he received an SMS claiming his vehicle had been caught overspeeding by a traffic camera. The message, sent from a regular mobile number, urged him to pay an “urgent” fine and included a shortened payment link.
At first glance, the message appeared legitimate. The website it led to carried the Ashoka emblem and presented itself as “eChallan – Digital Traffic/Transport Enforcement Solution,” claiming to operate under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
A website designed to create panic
The fake portal showed a pending challan of ₹500 with a long reference number and displayed warnings that non-payment could result in heavy fines, licence suspension or even court summons. A prominent green “Pay Now” button added to the sense of urgency.
Shridhar admitted he had almost entered his card details before deciding to double-check the link. “Who says Indians are not innovative?” he wrote, noting how close he came to being scammed.
The small detail that exposed the fraud
A closer look revealed the scam. The website address was echallan.pasvahan.icu, not the official Parivahan eChallan Portal. The shortened link in the SMS had masked the suspicious domain, making the fraud harder to detect.
Social media reacts, users share similar experiences
After Shridhar shared screenshots, many users said they had received similar messages and nearly fallen for them. Several thanked him for flagging the issue, while others urged people to never click payment links sent via SMS and to always verify URLs manually.
Stay alert, experts warn
Cyber safety experts advise motorists to check challan details only through official government portals or apps and to treat SMS payment links with extreme caution. With scammers increasingly mimicking official platforms, a few seconds of verification can prevent major financial loss.