Fake E Challan SMS Scam: How to Identify a Real PSCA Message (2026)

The fake e challan SMS scam is now one of the most common frauds targeting vehicle owners in Pakistan. You receive a text message claiming you have an unpaid traffic challan, it includes a link, and it warns that your vehicle will be blocked or your fine doubled if you do not pay immediately. The message looks official, the website behind the link looks official — but both are fake, built only to steal your money or your card details.

The problem has grown serious enough that the Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) has asked the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to investigate cloned websites that send fake fine alerts and copy the real portal. This guide explains exactly how the scam works, how to identify a genuine PSCA message, and the one rule that keeps you safe: never pay through a link sent by SMS.

Quick answer: A genuine PSCA e-challan SMS comes only from sender code 9915, never contains a payment link, and never asks for your bank or ATM details. Real challans are verified only on the official portal echallan.psca.gop.pk, and queries go to helpline 15, option 6. Karachi’s Sindh Traffic Police do not issue e-challans by SMS at all, so any Karachi challan SMS asking for payment is fake.

How the fake e challan SMS scam works

The phishing challan link scam follows the same pattern almost every time:

1. You get an alarming SMS or WhatsApp message. It says a camera has recorded a violation against your vehicle — overspeeding, signal violation, lane violation — and a fine is pending.
2. The message creates urgency. Phrases like “pay within 24 hours,” “fine will be doubled,” “vehicle will be blacklisted,” or “last notice” are designed to stop you from thinking.
3. It contains a payment link. The link opens a cloned website that copies the PSCA portal’s colours, logo, and layout. The address looks similar but is not the official domain.
4. You enter your details and pay. On the fake site you type your vehicle number, CNIC, and then your debit/credit card or mobile wallet details. The money goes to the scammer — and worse, your card details can be reused for further fraud.

Some versions do not even ask for payment on the spot. They ask you to “verify” your CNIC or download an app, which can install malware or harvest personal data. A WhatsApp fake challan message works the same way, sometimes coming from a number with a foreign country code.

How to identify a real PSCA message

A genuine message from the Punjab Safe Cities Authority has specific features. Check every challan SMS against this list before you do anything else:

Signs a PSCA SMS is genuine:

• Sender code is 9915. PSCA has confirmed that genuine e-challan notifications come only from 9915. The message arrives from this short code, not from a random mobile number starting with 03.
• No payment link. PSCA notifies you about a challan; it does not collect payment through a link inside the message. Payment only ever happens through official channels after you check the challan yourself.
• Never asks for bank or ATM details. A genuine notification never requests your bank, ATM, or card information. If you have a query about a real challan, call the police helpline 15 and choose option 6.
• It matches a real record. The vehicle number in the message is yours, and when you independently open the official portal, the same challan appears there with the same PSID and amount.

Signs the SMS is fake:

• It comes from an ordinary mobile number or an unknown international number.
• It contains a link asking you to pay, “verify,” or download something.
• The website it opens is not echallan.psca.gop.pk — watch for extra words, hyphens, or endings like .xyz, .top, or .online.
• It threatens instant vehicle blocking, arrest, or a doubled fine unless you pay within hours.
• It asks for your card PIN, OTP, or mobile wallet password. No government system ever asks for these.

The 9915 vs 8070 confusion

PSCA has confirmed that genuine e-challan notifications now come only from 9915. The code 8070 was the older government sender code, and it has been retired — but a lot of older advice online still quotes 8070 as the official sender, and scammers exploit exactly that confusion by sending fake alerts that trade on the retired code’s reputation. Treat any challan message that does not come from 9915 as suspect. And whatever the message says, the safest habit does not depend on the code at all: ignore any link in it and check your challan by typing the official portal address into your browser yourself.

Karachi warning: Sindh Traffic Police do not issue e-challans by SMS

If you are in Karachi, the rule is even simpler. The DIG Traffic Karachi has publicly warned that traffic police are not issuing e-challans via SMS. Karachi’s e-challans are issued through the TRACS (Traffic Regulation and Citation System) using Safe City cameras, and the challan is delivered against your vehicle record — not collected through a text message.

So:

• Any SMS claiming to be a “Karachi e-challan” with a payment link is a scam. Delete it.
• To check a genuine Karachi challan, use the official TRACS e-ticket portal at ctpl.sindhpolice.gov.pk or the Trax4Citizens app, and search by your vehicle number.
• If you did not receive an SMS for a Karachi challan, that is normal — the absence of a message does not mean you have no challan. Check the portal directly, especially before token tax renewal or a vehicle transfer, because that is when pending challans surface.

Fake-agent scams are active in Karachi as well: callers and message senders posing as traffic police “agents” offer to “settle” your challan for a fee. There is no such agent system. A real challan is only ever settled through official payment channels against its PSID.

How scammers fake the PSCA website

The NCCIA fake e-challan website investigations exist because the clones are convincing. Scammers register domains that look like the real one at a glance — swapping letters, adding words like “verify” or “pay,” or using a different ending. The cloned page copies the PSCA logo, the green colour scheme, and even the challan search form.

The clone usually works in two stages. First it asks for your vehicle number and CNIC — and it will almost always “find” a challan, because showing you a fine is what pushes you to pay. Then it asks for payment by card. A real portal never behaves this way: on the official site you can view the challan and its evidence photo, and payment is made separately through recognised channels such as banks, ePay Punjab, JazzCash, or Easypaisa against the PSID — never by entering full card details into a page a text message sent you to.

One reliable test: close the page, open your browser, and type echallan.psca.gop.pk yourself. If the challan does not appear on the official portal, it does not exist — no matter what the message said.

Verify a challan safely: step by step

1. Do not tap the link in the SMS or WhatsApp message.
2. Open your browser and type echallan.psca.gop.pk yourself (Punjab) or ctpl.sindhpolice.gov.pk (Karachi/Sindh).
3. Enter your vehicle registration number in the correct format and your CNIC where asked.
4. If a challan appears, note the PSID, violation, date, and amount, and view the evidence photo if available.
5. Pay only through official channels — bank, ePay Punjab, JazzCash/Easypaisa, or other recognised options listed against that PSID.
6. If nothing appears on the official portal, you have no challan to pay. Treat the message as a scam and report it.

Already clicked the link or paid? Do this now

• If you entered card details: call your bank immediately, block the card, and dispute the transaction. Do the same with your mobile wallet provider if you shared wallet credentials or an OTP.
• If you paid money: report it right away — speed matters for any chance of recovery.
• If you downloaded an app or file: delete it, run a security scan, and change passwords for your banking and email accounts from a clean device.
• Report the scam to NCCIA on 1991. Reporting a fake e-challan SMS takes a few minutes and helps shut down the cloned sites and numbers targeting everyone else.
• For guidance on a genuine challan, call the police helpline 15 and choose option 6 for e-challan queries.

FAQ

Is a challan SMS with a payment link real or fake?
Fake. Genuine PSCA e-challan messages never carry a payment link. Payment is made only through official channels after you check the challan yourself on the official portal.

What is the official SMS number for PSCA e-challans — 9915 or 8070?
9915. PSCA has confirmed that genuine e-challan notifications come only from 9915. 8070 was the older government code and is now retired — scammers exploit it precisely because old articles still call it official. Never use a link from any message; verify on echallan.psca.gop.pk yourself, or call helpline 15 and choose option 6.

Does Sindh Police send e-challans by SMS?
No. Karachi’s traffic police leadership has publicly stated that e-challans are not issued via SMS. Karachi challans are checked on the TRACS portal ctpl.sindhpolice.gov.pk. Any “Sindh e-challan” SMS with a payment link is a scam.

How do scammers fake the PSCA website?
They register look-alike domains and copy the portal’s logo, colours, and search form. The fake site almost always “finds” a challan, then asks for card payment. The real portal address is echallan.psca.gop.pk — type it yourself instead of following any link.

Why did I not receive an SMS for my e-challan?
Notification delivery is not guaranteed, and in Karachi challans are not issued by SMS at all. Your mobile number may also be outdated in your vehicle registration record. Check the official portal directly by vehicle number rather than relying on messages.

What should I do if I already clicked a fake challan link?
If you shared card or wallet details, block the card and contact your bank immediately. If you paid, report it at once. Then report the scam to NCCIA on 1991 and change important passwords from a safe device.

Where do I report a fake e-challan SMS in Pakistan?
Report cybercrime and fake challan messages to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) on helpline 1991. Keep the message and the sender’s number as evidence.

How can I check my challan without any SMS?
Open echallan.psca.gop.pk in your browser and search with your vehicle number (Punjab). For Karachi, use ctpl.sindhpolice.gov.pk or the Trax4Citizens app. No SMS is needed to check or pay a genuine challan.

Internal links: For genuine challan problems, see E-Challan Problems and Solutions; for current fine amounts, see Traffic Fines in Pakistan 2026; and check your record on the city guides: E-Challan Check Lahore and E-Challan Check Karachi.