5 hrs ago
Kalamboli Businessman Loses ₹5.20 Lakh in Fake Challan Scam
A transport businessman in Kalamboli received a message saying that his vehicle had a traffic fine.
He clicked the link to check whether the message was real.
Soon afterward, his phone became hot and started showing update activity and many OTP messages.
He reset the phone and later changed his SIM card.
When he checked his bank account, he found that ₹5.20 lakh had been taken in five transactions.
He told his bank and reported the incident to the cybercrime authorities.
Taloja police are investigating the digital trail and the suspicious link.
Police say people should check traffic fines only on official websites and avoid unknown links.
A 46-year-old Kalamboli transport businessman allegedly lost ₹5.20 lakh in a fake traffic challan scam.
He clicked an unsolicited message link that allegedly compromised his phone and triggered repeated OTP messages.
The money was withdrawn from his bank account through five transactions on or before September 20.
The victim contacted his bank, reported the incident to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and approached Taloja police.
Police registered a case against unidentified suspects and warned people not to click suspicious links or share OTPs, UPI PINs or banking details.
- Who
- A 46-year-old transport businessman, Kasim Karadali Sheikh, from Kalamboli was allegedly targeted.
- What
- He allegedly lost ₹5.20 lakh after clicking a fake traffic challan link, with the money withdrawn through five transactions.
- Where
- The victim lives in Kalamboli and runs his business in Taloja MIDC; Taloja police registered the case.
- When
- He received the message on September 19, 2026, and discovered the debits on September 20; the case was reported on September 29, 2026.
- Why
- Fraudsters allegedly used a fake traffic challan message and link to compromise the victim’s phone and access transactions.
Key facts
- Reported loss
- ₹5.20 lakh
- Victim
- Kasim Karadali Sheikh, 46, a transport businessman
- Initial contact
- A message claiming a traffic challan had been issued
- Transactions
- Five debits from the victim’s bank account
- Police station
- Taloja police
- Legal provisions
- Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act
- Police advice
- Use official government platforms to verify challans and do not share OTPs, UPI PINs or banking credentials
Quotes
Taloja police official
Police official involved in investigating the reported cyber fraud
“We are tracing the digital trail of the transactions and the link used to target the complainant. Citizens should not click on links received through unsolicited messages claiming to be traffic challans. They should also avoid downloading APK files or sharing OTPs, UPI PINs and banking credentials with anyone.”
freepressjournal.in
Sources
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