Kerala Police warns of fake traffic fine SMS scams

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The Kerala Police has sounded an alert over a spike in online financial fraud involving fake SMS messages about traffic violations and CCTV-based enforcement.

Masquerading as official notifications from the Motor Vehicles department (MVD), these messages are sent to people’s mobile phones, often carrying the recipients’ actual vehicle registration numbers. They falsely claim that a traffic violation has been captured on camera and urge recipients to click on an embedded link to pay the purported fine.

The fraudsters craft these messages to make them look highly authentic. The reference numbers and shortened web links included in them are part of the scam. Clicking on these links takes users to fraudulent webpages designed to mimic the MVD’s official website. Users are then prompted to enter sensitive information, including bank account details, debit or credit card numbers, CVV codes and OTPs, ostensibly to pay the fine. Sharing such information puts them at risk of losing money from their bank accounts, the Kerala Police said in a statement here on Saturday.

The police have urged the public to remain vigilant against such scams and avoid paying fines through unfamiliar links received via SMS. Instead, they should verify whether any genuine traffic fines are pending against their vehicles by visiting the official Parivahan or e-Challan websites.

The police also warned the public against sharing bank details, OTPs or card information with anyone under any circumstances. Links contained in suspicious messages should neither be opened nor forwarded to others.

Anyone who falls victim to online financial fraud should immediately register a complaint by calling the cybercrime helpline at 1930 or by visiting the official cybercrime portal at https://cybercrime.gov.in, said the police.