An attempt to clear a traffic fine went from a routine errand to financial crisis for a high-ranking software engineer in Bengaluru. Losing ₹2,32,272, the victim, a native of the city's eastern suburbs, lost money within minutes of clicking a false digital link that impersonated an official traffic police alert.
How the Scam Unfolded
The scam started January 26, 2026 when the techie got a text message from his mobile phone saying he has a pending traffic fine of ₹500. The message showed a link that seemed to go to a government payment portal. The bait: The victim clicked the link, which led him to a very convincing but fraudulent website, out of fear that he was going to be legally prosecuted or have the fine imposed on him.
The Theft
The site prompted him to enter his credit card to complete the trivial ₹500 payment. The Shock: Just after entering his credentials, he got an alert from his bank. Instead, within one transaction ₹2,32,272 was debited from his account instead of ₹500. Police Action and Investigation. The techie quickly contacted the authorities when he realized he had been scammed.
The Whitefield Cyber Crime Police have registered an FIR and are now investigating and tracing the digital footprint of the transaction. The funds were claimed to have been siphoned through layers of accounts to avoid detection, preliminary investigations indicate.
Bengaluru Traffic Police advisory
Citizens with such phishing attempts faced a stern warning from the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) recently. “The police don’t send payment links by SMS or WhatsApp to individual accounts,” a senior officer said. Red Flags to Watch For:
- Unofficial URLs: Government websites in India always end with the URLs .gov.in or .nic.in. Avoid links like lihi.cc, bit.ly, or random alphanumeric URLs.
- Urgency & Fear: Scammers threaten license suspension or court summons to compel knee jerkers to make fast, unreasonable choices.
- Asking for Card Details: Official portals typically provide several secure gateways, such as UPI or Net Banking; beware of any website that only requires card credentials.
Here’s How to Credibly Pay Traffic Fines
To prevent citizens from being targeted by these “digital dacoits,” it is recommended to rely only on official platforms:
- Official Portal: https://kspapp.ksp.gov.in/ksp/api/traffic-challan
- Apps: Karnataka One, Bangalore One, BTP ASTraM app.
- Physical: Go to any Traffic Police Station or Traffic Management Centre (TMC).
