Rajasthan Police issued a public advisory cautioning people about a phishing scam involving cybercriminals posing as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and offering counterfeit FASTag annual passes. Director General of Police (Cyber Crime) Sanjay Agarwal highlighted that scammers are employing sophisticated tactics, like paid Google ads and SEO, to elevate fraudulent websites in search rankings. These deceptive portals closely mimic the official NHAI site, making it challenging to differentiate between real and fake platforms.
The fake websites request approximately Rs 3,000 for an annual FASTag pass and furnish a QR code for payment, which, upon scanning, transfers the money directly to the fraudsters’ accounts. Authorities emphasized that payments for government services should never be made to personal accounts and advised verifying payment details and website addresses to identify fake platforms. Citizens were urged to utilize only official channels like the Rajmarg Yatra app or authorized bank portals for FASTag transactions, ensuring to scrutinize the website URL and avoid suspicious domains with unfamiliar names.
Additionally, individuals were cautioned to verify the payment recipient before finalizing any transaction. If scanning a QR code reveals an individual’s name instead of an authorized entity, the transaction should be immediately terminated. To prevent cyber fraud, the public was advised against sharing banking details, OTPs, or personal information with unknown individuals. In case of falling victim to cyber fraud, people can seek assistance from the national cyber helpline at 1930 or contact Rajasthan Police helplines at 9256001930 and 9257510100. Complaints can also be lodged on the Government of India’s cybercrime portal at cybercrime.gov.in.
