The Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) has issued an important public warning regarding the increase in fraudulent SMS messages claiming that individuals have unpaid traffic fines, often containing suspicious links to fake websites.
These fake SMS messages often make alarming claims about pending e-challans, urging recipients to take immediate action by clicking a link or calling a provided number. However, these messages are not legitimate and are a clear phishing scheme.
Here’s what these phishing messages look like:
Key Signs to Spot the Scam
Here’s how you can tell that this message is a 100% phishing attempt:
Private Phone Number
If you look at the phone number, it’s a private phone number. PSCA always sends you the e-challan alert from the 8070 number, and never through a private number that starts from +92 or 03.
“URGENT” Word
Real e-challan message will never write “URGENT” at the start of the message.
Domain of the Website
If you look closely at the domain, you’ll notice that it ends with a .cc extension, whereas the legitimate PSCA website uses a .gop.pk domain.
Despite this subtle difference, the scammers have done an excellent job of cloning the original PSCA website.
When we opened the link, we found that the fake site was an exact 1:1 replica of the original, making it nearly impossible to tell it was fraudulent unless you examine the domain carefully.
However, you should never open such links, as they contain scripts and trackers designed to steal your personal information, including any logged-in accounts and saved passwords from your browser.
In conclusion, always stay aware of these phishing attempts. Always check the sender’s phone number; if it’s a private number starting with +92 or 03, it’s a scam. Moreover, also look for the domain of the website in the messages; government websites always start with
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