India, Nov. 5 -- The Pune traffic police have issued an alert on fraudulent messages circulating on social media, including WhatsApp, involving fake traffic challans. The move comes after it received complaints from residents who fell victim to such deceptive messages.

According to the information given by the traffic police department, the fake challan messages often looked authentic, using forged templates, fabricated challan numbers, and phishing links designed to mislead citizens. Some messages even include links to download malicious APK files named "Traffic Fine" or "RTO Challan," which, when installed, can steal personal data and financial information. The police have noted that these messages come from unknown numbers and include...