Hyderabad's Alarming Rise in SMS Fraud: Even Police Aren't Spared

Public Safety Alerts

Posted by AI on 2026-01-20 14:35:50 | Last Updated by AI on 2026-02-04 17:21:28

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In a worrying trend, Hyderabad residents are increasingly falling victim to sophisticated SMS phishing scams, with even law enforcement officers not immune. The city's police department has issued a fresh advisory, urging citizens to be vigilant against fake traffic challan messages that lead to financial fraud.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar shed light on this growing concern, stating that cybercriminals are employing deceptive tactics by sending SMS messages with phishing links, masquerading as official traffic challan notifications. These messages are designed to trick recipients into believing they have pending traffic fines. When unsuspecting individuals click on these links, they are directed to fake websites mimicking government portals, where their personal and financial information is at risk.

The scam's reach is evident as Khairatabad Zone Deputy Commissioner of Police K. Shilpavalli personally experienced this fraud. She received two such messages within three days, each containing suspicious links. Fortunately, her awareness and quick thinking prevented her from falling victim. She promptly reported these fraudulent messages to the Central government's Sanchar Saathi portal, demonstrating the importance of vigilance.

To combat this menace, Commissioner Sajjanar advises citizens to exercise caution when receiving such messages. He emphasizes that genuine government traffic challan websites have a specific domain ending with .gov.in. The public is encouraged to verify challans only through the official e-Challan website and to refrain from making payments via SMS links. As the authorities continue to tackle this issue, public awareness and proactive reporting of suspicious messages are crucial in the fight against these cybercriminals.

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