Kolkata: The cybercrime cell of the Kolkata Police has issued a public advisory, warning citizens against phishing with fraudsters sending vehicle owners fake traffic fine notices on WhatsApp and SMS.
Authorities have cautioned citizens against clocking on unverified links or downloading unknown attachments, ostensibly sent to them on their mobiles to pay traffic fines, emphasising that vehicle owners must use only govt portals or physical payment counters to make payments. The warning came with an awareness campaign, launched on the Kolkata Traffic Police Facebook page, where a video alerts people about cyber criminals impersonating traffic officers and circulating fraudulent messages, containing malicious Android Package (.apk) files disguised as pending e-challan notices.
Highlighting the security risks posed by these links, a cyber unit officer provided details on the fraudsters’ operational tactics. “When people tried to pay through these links, they lost money as these were .apk files. .Apk files, once loaded, give the fraudster access to the entire photos and galleries of the victim. Here, even the two-factor authentication will not work,” the officer said on the video.
To protect citizens from falling prey to financial fraud, Kolkata Police reiterated the guidelines for clearing traffic fine dues. For online transactions, people are advised to visit the official state portal at [https://sanjog.wb.gov.in/](https://sanjog.wb.gov.in/) and for offline payments. vehicle owners are asked to visit the centralised traffic counter at the Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar or any of the 26 designated traffic guard counters in the city.
Police have urged anyone who encounters suspicious messages or falls victim to cyber fraud to report the incident to the national cybercrime helpline numbers 1930 or 1800-345-0066. Prompt reporting within the initial hours of the crime increases the likelihood of freezing stolen funds before they are siphoned off by cybercriminals.