Cyber criminals take advantage of 50 pc rebate on traffic fines to dupe unsuspecting people

BENGALURU: The traffic police in Bengaluru have announced a 50 per cent discount on pending traffic fines, but cyber scammers are taking advantage of this by sending links and APK (Android Package Kit) files to the mobile numbers of motorists and sending messages saying that they can check the fine of their vehicles and pay it up directly.

These scammers are targeting unsuspecting victims, and when the links or files are opened, the scammers drain the victim’s bank account. A techie in Kodigehalli fell prey to this scam and lost Rs 2.65 lakh after opening a suspicious APK file sent by a scammer.

50% ಚಲನ್ ರಿಯಾಯಿತಿಯನ್ನು ಸದುಪಯೋಗಪಡಿಸಿಕೊಂಡು ನಿಮ್ಮ ದಂಡ ಪಾವತಿಯ ಬಾಕಿಗಳನ್ನು ಜವಾಬ್ದಾರಿಯುತವಾಗಿ ಪಾವತಿಸಿದ್ದಕ್ಕೆ ಧನ್ಯವಾದಗಳು#TrafficFineDiscount #ClearYourDues #50PercentChallan #RoadSafety #DriveSafe #BCPCares #KarnatakaPolice pic.twitter.com/FtvybsMIsw

— ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ಸಂಚಾರ ಪೊಲೀಸ್ BengaluruTrafficPolice (@blrcitytraffic) August 25, 2025

The victim has filed a complaint with the Kodigehalli police station. Cyber experts have warned people to pay fines only through official websites and to avoid opening unknown links or APK files to prevent falling victim to such scams.