Chennai man latest victim of traffic challan scam, loses Rs 99,000

CHENNAI: A 32-year-old from Taramani became the latest victim of the traffic challan scam where cyber fraudsters impersonating law enforcement agencies send malware links and APK files that mimic traffic challan payments.

The man, R Sakthivel, ended up losing Rs 99,000, said the Greater Chennai Police on Saturday, warning the public to be wary of such cybercrimes. Earlier this month, the police had issued a warning in this regard.

Police said Sakthivel clicked on the URL link sent to his WhatsApp mimicking a traffic challan. Within minutes, Rs 99,000 was withdrawn from his bank account in two transactions. Based on Sakthivel's complaint at Taramani police station on June 22, the South Zone cybercrime police have taken over investigations.

With people losing money to such scams, the police appealed to the public not to click on these links, as they might contain Android Package Kit (APK) files or phishing links to extract personal data from mobile phones.

According to police officials, a similar modus operandi is observed in other parts of the country, too, and appealed to the public to be wary of the same.

An APK file is the standard file format for distributing and installing apps on Android devices. According to police officials, cybercriminals can use malicious APK files to steal sensitive information such as login credentials, credit card numbers, or personal data. This can lead to identity theft and significant financial losses.