Five arrested for cyber fraud using fake traffic challan SMS; 544 complaints linked

Delhi Police has busted an organised cyber fraud network that allegedly used fake traffic challan messages and reward applications to dupe people of over Rs 10 crore, an official said on Sunday.

Police have arrested five people from different locations across India, allegedly linked to 544 complaints involving over Rs 10 crore, the officer said.

The accused allegedly used a foreign-based application to send phishing messages through users’ mobile phones in exchange for incentives of Rs 1 to Rs 3 per redemption, the officer said.

The investigation began after a man lost Rs 2.21 lakh from his credit card after clicking a fraudulent link in an SMS claiming to facilitate payment of a traffic challan in November 2025.

During technical analysis, the police found that the mobile number used in the crime was registered in the name of Nitesh Patel, a resident of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. Further analysis led the team to Patel’s nephew, whose mobile phone revealed the presence of an application called “Wingo Cash”, allegedly received through a WhatsApp group, he said.

“Teams found that the application automatically sent 9-12 phishing SMSs whenever a user redeemed a reward, keeping the mobile screen locked for around 30 seconds,” said the police officer.

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The messages contained links impersonating traffic challan payments, delivery verification and reward points. Around 3,300 such SMSs were traced during the investigation.

The police traced the cheated amount to an account maintained with an international bank, the officer said, adding that the investigation uncovered a network of mule bank accounts and payout transactions. Around Rs 2 crore was transferred to over 41,000 application users within three days.

The police arrested Moti Singh Baghela, Harshpal, Vicky, Vishal Das Vaishnav and Barjesh Kumar from different locations, including Mumbai, Lucknow, Delhi, Rajasthan and Punjab, he said.

Fifteen digital devices, 59 debit cards, 52 passbooks and cheque books, 14 company stamps, five POS machines, eight QR-code scanners, a gold chain and a car were seized, the officer said.