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Published : 23 Apr 2026, 09:40 AM
The Bangladesh Police and the road transport regulator have cautioned motorists against a sophisticated phishing scam involving fraudulent text messages that claim the recipient has unpaid speeding fines.
Private sector employee Mahinur Begum received an SMS on Tuesday saying, “You have an outstanding speeding fine, please pay immediately.”
She later asked her university-going son to check the message. After reviewing it, they suspected a fraud network using detailed vehicle owner data.
Over the past few days, similar messages have been reported by vehicle owners across the country in multiple car and motorcycle-related Facebook groups.
On Wednesday night, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) said in a Facebook post that it has no involvement in such messages and warned they may be part of a scam.
Police have also described the messages as “a fraud trap” and urged people not to click on any links.
In a Facebook group named “Car Hub”, user Tajbiul Islam Tanmoy said he received a message on Apr 21 while at work, offering details of a Tk 3,000 fine with a 50 percent discount if paid within three days.
He said the interface closely resembled an official website, making it difficult to detect the fraud at first glance.
Tanmoy added that after checking the domain name with a colleague, they found it slightly different from the official one, leading them to identify it as a phishing attempt.
The payment option required bank transfer and sensitive banking details, including PIN numbers.
He warned users not to click on unknown links and to verify fines directly through official platforms, adding that such scams are becoming increasingly common.
In the same group post, user Rafan Mahmud blamed the scam on possible data leaks, alleging that a recent BRTA website breach may have exposed vehicle information.
Rashed Alam, a motorcyclist, said he also received a similar SMS linked to a bike he had sold but not yet officially transferred ownership.
After speaking to the buyer, he found no such offence had occurred and later realised the link appeared fake.
He added that the fraudulent site closely resembled the BRTA service portal, using similar colours and fonts to trick users into sharing banking information.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Traffic Gulshan Division also issued a Facebook warning, saying a “fraud” group is circulating fake messages and using cloned websites to mislead people and steal money.
Deputy Commissioner Mizanur Rahman said traffic fines are not collected through SMS or links.
According to him, official fines carry a case ID issued by traffic officers and are payable only through approved channels such as mobile payment apps or at designated offices.
He urged people to avoid suspicious messages and not to click on unknown links.
The BRTA also warned users to remain cautious and avoid clicking on suspicious links.
When contacted, DMP Deputy Commissioner (Media) NM Nasiruddin said police are monitoring the situation and urged victims to file general diaries to support investigations
