How to identify a fake vehicle challan SMS scam?

How to identify a fake vehicle challan SMS scam?

Fake vehicle challan SMS messages are increasingly being used to trick vehicle owners into clicking fraudulent payment links.

The first thing to check is the SMS sender ID.

If you receive a challan-related SMS claiming to be from the government, check whether the sender ID starts with:

VAAHAN-X

Here, X can be any letter.

For example, a genuine message may appear as VAAHAN-K, VAAHAN-M, etc.

If the sender ID is NOT in the VAAHAN-X format, treat the message as suspicious and simply ignore it.

Do NOT click on any payment link, download any application, or provide your card, UPI, OTP, or other personal information through such a message.

Genuine vs Fake SMS

Genuine SMS:
The sender ID follows the VAAHAN-X format.

Fake/Suspicious SMS:
The sender ID does not follow the VAAHAN-X format and may contain a normal mobile number, an unrelated sender name, or another misleading ID.

Important: Do not rely only on the SMS. If you want to verify whether a challan actually exists, check it independently through the official government e-challan portal rather than using the link provided in the SMS.

The examples below show how a genuine challan SMS can differ from a fake challan scam message.