Cyber Fraud in Delhi: Rs 2.5 Lakh Lost in Foreign Currency Scam Over Rs 500 Traffic Fine

Cybercriminals in Delhi are becoming increasingly audacious. In East Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar, a 65-year-old man lost nearly Rs 2.5 lakh while attempting to pay a traffic fine of just Rs 500, after being duped by cyber fraudsters who executed the transaction in foreign currency to complicate tracking.

The Incident
The victim resides in Laxmi Nagar. On 13 January, his wife received a message on her mobile claiming that a vehicle fine of Rs 500 was pending, accompanied by a payment link. She forwarded the message to her husband. When the victim clicked the link and attempted to pay using his HDFC Bank credit card, he was shocked to receive a notification that 10,350 Saudi Riyals had been debited from his account—equivalent to approximately Rs 2,49,246.

The scammers cleverly conducted the transaction in foreign currency, making it difficult to trace and enabling rapid transfer of the money to overseas accounts or digital wallets. Following the incident, the victim immediately registered a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Portal, and East District Cyber Police have launched an investigation.

Expert Advice
A police source from the cyber unit explained that these “challan scams” often involve fake websites mimicking official government portals such as e-challan, which trick people into clicking malicious links. To avoid such frauds:

• Always check fines by visiting echallan.parivahan.gov.in directly.
• Do not click links from unknown numbers (like 7054175790 in this case).
• Carefully verify the amount and currency before making any payment.

This incident serves as a stark reminder for citizens to exercise extreme caution while paying fines or making online transactions.