Fake Traffic Challan Cyber Fraud: Chandigarh Police Arrest Accused Who Laundered ₹3.26 Lakh via Gift Cards and Online Gold

Cyber Police Arrest Accused in Fake Traffic Challan Fraud; ₹3.26 Lakh Laundered via Gift Cards and Online Gold

The Cyber Crime Police, Chandigarh, have arrested a 23-year-old man in connection with a fake traffic challan cyber fraud, in which a city resident was allegedly cheated of ₹3.26 lakh. The stolen money was reportedly laundered through gift cards and online gold purchases, highlighting a sophisticated method of digital financial crime.

The accused has been identified as Devansh Goyal (23), a resident of Gurugram, Haryana. His arrest is linked to an FIR registered on December 25, 2025, at the Cyber Crime Police Station, Chandigarh.

Modus Operandi: Fake Parivahan Link Used

According to the complaint filed by Ramesh Singh Rawat, a resident of Maloya, Chandigarh, he received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number containing a link titled “MPparivahan APK”, falsely claiming to be related to a pending traffic challan.

Believing the message to be genuine, the complainant clicked on the link, following which his mobile phone began malfunctioning and became unresponsive, indicating the installation of malicious software (malware). Shortly thereafter, he started receiving multiple OTPs, calls, and messages from unknown numbers.

Unauthorised Credit Card Transactions

Subsequently, unauthorised transactions were detected from the complainant’s credit cards:

• ₹1,36,294 was fraudulently withdrawn from his AU Small Finance Bank credit card

• ₹1,90,000 was illegally debited from his ICICI Bank credit card

The total amount cheated was ₹3,26,294. Police stated that banking alerts, OTPs, and transaction messages were deliberately deleted from the victim’s phone to delay detection of the fraud.

Money Laundering Through Online Gold

During the investigation, the Cyber Crime Police uncovered that the defrauded money was first used to purchase gift cards, which were later redeemed to buy online gold. The gold coins were subsequently delivered in the Delhi-NCR region, indicating a planned attempt to conceal and launder the proceeds of crime.

Investigators also found that the SIM cards used in the fraud were linked to the gold delivery, which ultimately helped police trace and arrest the accused.

Arrest and Ongoing Investigation

The accused was arrested from Gurugram, and police recovered an iPhone 13 Pro Max along with a mobile number allegedly used in the commission of the cyber fraud.

Officials stated that the case is currently at an initial stage, and custodial interrogation is expected to help trace the complete money trail and identify other members of the cyber fraud racket.

Police Advisory to the Public

DSP (Cyber Crime) A. Venkatesh warned citizens against clicking on unknown links or downloading APK files, especially those claiming to be related to traffic challans, Parivahan services, or government departments. He emphasized that such messages are commonly used by cybercriminals to target unsuspecting victims.

Key Takeaway

This case underscores the growing threat of cyber-enabled financial fraud and highlights the need for digital awareness, caution, and verification while dealing with messages claiming to originate from government authorities.

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