Delhi Police: "Wingo Cash" app turned users' phones into senders of fake traffic-challan phishing SMS
Delhi Police said on 1 November 2026 that five people were arrested over a network that used a “Wingo Cash” reward app to send fake traffic-challan SMS, with 544 complaints and over Rs 10 crore linked. The accused have not been convicted.
- First reported
- Reports
- 1
Source: hindustantimes.com · published
What happened
The Hindustan Times, carrying a PTI report, said on 1 November 2026 that Delhi Police have busted an organised cyber-fraud network that allegedly used fake traffic-challan messages and reward applications to cheat people of more than Rs 10 crore. Five people have been arrested from different parts of India, and 544 complaints are linked to the network, according to a police officer. The probe began after a man lost Rs 2.21 lakh from his credit card after clicking a link in an SMS claiming to help him pay a traffic challan in November 2025. Those arrested are accused, and the investigation is continuing.
How the scam works
The report says police traced the mobile number used in the fraud to an individual and then to a relative's phone, where they found an application called “Wingo Cash”, allegedly received through a WhatsApp group. The officer said the app, described as foreign-based, automatically sent 9 to 12 phishing SMS messages from the user's phone whenever the user redeemed a reward, keeping the screen locked for about 30 seconds. Users were paid incentives of Rs 1 to Rs 3 per redemption, so ordinary people were turned into senders. The messages carried links imitating traffic-challan payments, delivery verification and reward points, and about 3,300 such SMS messages were traced.
Police say the stolen money was traced to an account at an international bank, and they found a network of mule bank accounts and payout transactions. About Rs 2 crore was transferred to more than 41,000 app users within three days. Officers seized 15 digital devices, 59 debit cards, 52 passbooks and cheque books, 14 company stamps, five POS machines, eight QR-code scanners, a gold chain and a car.
The case shows that a reward app which pays you to “redeem” points can be a tool for fraud, and that fake challan links are built to look like a routine government payment.
Source
The Hindustan Times (PTI), “Five arrested for cyber fraud using fake traffic challan SMS; 544 complaints linked”, 1 November 2026.
Red flags
- An SMS about an unpaid traffic challan with a link to pay, which does not come from an official government portal.
- A reward or cash-back app received through a WhatsApp group.
- An app that pays tiny amounts for “redeeming” rewards while your phone screen locks.
- Links in messages impersonating challan payments, delivery verification or reward points.
- Requests to share bank accounts or cards with a person who promises a commission.
If you were targeted
- 1Do not click challan links in SMS; check dues only on the official e-challan portal that you type yourself.
- 2Do not install reward apps shared in WhatsApp groups, and remove any app you do not recognise.
- 3If you paid through such a link, call your bank at once and report it on 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in.
- 4Never lend your bank account or UPI ID for a commission; it can make you part of the fraud.
- 5Check your phone's SMS history for messages you did not send.