Fact Check: Beware of fake e-challan website
A text message has been going viral stating that a traffic e-challan of Rs 120 has been issued against a vehicle bearing registration number AP05BX1480. The text message also includes a link.
By Tejal Sinha Published on 17 Jun 2021 4:41 AM GMT
Hyderabad: A text message has been going viral stating that a traffic e-challan of Rs 120 has been issued against a vehicle bearing registration number AP05BX1480.
The text message also includes a link.
Fact Check
The message is a hoax as the link in the text message is not of the official website.
NewsMeter firstly tried to visit the link present in the text message. The link took us further to a website that had details of the challan, police officer details, and violation details.
(By clicking on https://sendy.ly/2rpa3tp we were directly taken to the website with a link https://apechallan.org/
While scrolling through the violation details, we noticed that the amount to be paid for the violation was Rs 100 and the user charges were Rs 20. We then tried to find the fine amount that is being charged in East and West Godavari (as mentioned on the website) for not wearing masks. We found that the fine ranges between Rs 200 and Rs 250.
A report by Deccan Chronicle headlined "Cops book thousands, collect fines of lakhs in east and west Godavari districts" clearly states that a fine ranging from Rs 200 to Rs 250 is being imposed per person who fails to wear a mask.
While scrolling down on the website directed by the link, we found a picture of the front part of the bike that had the number plate. The picture does not prove the violation of not wearing a mask as stated.
NewsMeter then compared the website directed by the link and the official website of e-challan for AP.
(Click here for original website of e- Challan for AP)
Evidently, the link to the website is a hoax. The original website link of the e-challan of AP is https://apechallan.org/.
