PSCA Seeks Cybercrime Action Against Fake E-Challan SMS Scam

Punjab citizens are facing a new wave of cyber fraud. Scammers are targeting drivers with fake traffic fine alerts to steal money and data. Consequently, the Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) has launched a crackdown on these fraudulent activities.

On December 8, 2025, the PSCA officially lodged a complaint with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). They have asked the agency to track down the suspects behind these fake alerts. Additionally, the authority has written to the Punjab Police to trace the mobile numbers involved in this scheme.

The Anatomy of the Scam

The scammers are using sophisticated tactics to deceive the public. They have cloned the official PSCA website to make their claims look legitimate. Citizens receive SMS messages warning of “unsettled violations” or threatened with “severe penalties” and “license suspension”.

These text messages create panic. They urge recipients to click on links like psva-echallan.cc or eckrwlan.top. However, the PSCA has confirmed that these links are phishing traps. The domain names are clearly different from the official government domain.

PSCA Investigation Reveals Identity Theft

The investigation has already yielded results. Experts traced the alert generation to a man in Karachi. This individual also circulated a voice note to further the fraud.

Furthermore, PSCA Chief Operating Officer Mustansar Feroz revealed an alarming detail. The mobile number used by the scammer was registered to a woman with no involvement in the crime. It appears suspects acquired mobile numbers, SIMs, and CNIC data from vendors to execute this fraud.

How to Spot the Fake

PSCA Managing Director Ahsan Younas has issued clear guidelines to help citizens avoid this scam.

• Check the Sender: The PSCA only sends e-challan alerts from the official number 8070.
• Verify the Link: Official links are always hosted on the gop.pk domain. Any other link is fake.
• Watch the Tone: Official messages never use panic-inducing words like “Urgent”.

The authority has launched a large-scale social media campaign to warn the public. Therefore, always verify any traffic fine alert through the official 8070 helpline before making a payment.