Alert for road commuters: Buying FASTag online? NHAI flags fake annual pass websites

NHAI warns motorists about fake FASTag Annual Pass websites duping users through fraudulent links and payments. Here’s how the scam works and key safety tips to protect yourself from cyber fraud.

Motorists across India have been warned by NHAI to stay vigilant of fraudulent websites selling FASTag Annual Pass after users complained they were being duped by unofficial sites claiming to sell the pass. Sharing an alert via the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) portal under India’s Ministry of Home Affairs, officials cautioned drivers that scammers are posing as NHAI websites and collecting money for annual FASTag passes which they have no way of obtaining.

Scammers Created Websites, Text Links Duplicating Govt NHAI FASTag Websites

As per the notice, users visiting unofficial sites similar to the NHAI FASTag portal will find these websites ranking on top of search engine results due to ads/promoted listings or search engine optimisation.

When users click on one of these text links and attempt to purchase the FASTag Annual Pass (costing approximately ₹3,000), users are then redirected to enter their details and make the payment. Instead of going through official payment routes, this money is deposited straight into a criminal’s bank account.

In some complaints, users have stated that after payment was made, they received no confirmation of the pass being issued to them. Some were sent spoofed receipts, while others claimed the website stopped working after they were defrauded.

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The reason motorists are falling prey

Officials from India’s cybercrime divisions noted that these scam sites make it hard for general internet users to distinguish between fraudulent and authentic sites. While some scam websites may appear to be very basic, others have professional designs, watermarked official looking logos, and convincingly fake QR codes.

For reference, annual FASTag passes can only be obtained via the government’s FASTag official portal or your linked bank’s FASTag portal. Additionally, passes can be obtained through the Rajmarg Yatra app. Users should never buy annual passes through third-party websites they find online.

NHAI instructs Users to take Note

As a measure to keep safe, NHAI and cybercrime divisions have instructed users to take note of the following:

Use only genuine government websites to buy your FASTag Annual Pass
Ensure the website’s URL begins with ‘https’ and belongs to an official domain.
Do not scan suspicious QR codes or click on pop-up adverts as they may redirect you to another website
If you notice any scams attempt to grab your money, report them to your local cybercrime police station or I4C’s toll-free number.

India continues to see more transactions made via FASTags on national highways and with the new norm of purchasing FASTags online, it is more important than ever to be aware of fraudulent transactions.