When the complainant refused to pay Rs 15,000, morphed nude photos of the victim were sent to people in his contact list. (Representational Image)Over the last month, two cases have been reported in which police personnel were cheated of a total of Rs 10 lakh by cyber fraudsters after they clicked on a ‘traffic challan’ received via WhatsApp.In the latest First Information Report (FIR) registered in this regard on Saturday, a police inspector who works with the governor’s security team lost nearly Rs 3 lakh after clicking on the link last week.As per the police, the e-challan scam used by cyber fraudsters across the country has recently become active in Mumbai. An officer said that in this scam, fraudsters send traffic e-challans which appear to be from the Regional Transport Office (RTO) and unsuspecting users end up downloading them.The e-challan has malware attached to it that gives the cyber fraudster control of the victim’s mobile phone. Once installed, the malicious app can hijack the user’s device, gain access to SMS messages including one-time passwords (OTPs), steal credit card and banking details, and even remotely control the phone. Victims then begin receiving alerts about unauthorised credit card transactions and bank transfers, the police said.“The cyber fraudsters send an e-challan as it is something that one instinctively clicks on without thinking much. In the two cases registered with us, the link was shared on WhatsApp groups belonging to policemen,” an officer said.Once a mobile phone is compromised in this manner, the cyber fraudster uses it to send more links to other WhatsApp groups on the phone. “We suspect that in both cases – registered at Trombay police station on July 29 and another one at Tardeo – someone’s account got hacked and the person shared the link on groups in which these police personnel are members,” the officer added.The police said they are releasing videos and trying to spread awareness while asking people not to click on unknown links for traffic challans, but instead use the official app to access it. And if someone loses money, they should immediately contact the national cyber helpline 1930 and share details, they said.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Mumbai Police