Surat: A scrap dealer lost Rs 57,000 in an online fraud after cybercriminals allegedly duped him with a fake M-Parivahan e-challan message and tricked him into clicking a fraudulent payment link.According to the FIR registered at Amroli police station on October 26, the complainant, Vijay Parmar, learnt from his younger brother that he had received a message asking him to pay a traffic challan through an online link. The message appeared to be from M-Parivahan, making it seem like a genuine communication from the RTO.Since a challan was pending against his brother’s two-wheeler, Parmar asked him to forward the link so he could make the payment himself. After receiving the link on WhatsApp, Parmar clicked on it, but no payment page appeared. He subsequently deleted the link.However, the fraudsters allegedly gained access to his banking details and carried out unauthorised transactions. Parmar received several one-time passwords (OTPs) on his phone but deleted them, unaware that money was being siphoned off from his account. He eventually discovered that he had lost Rs 57,000.Parmar subsequently contacted the cybercrime helpline on 1930 and lodged a complaint.
