FASTag Recharge Link Scam over the phone

How it looks over the phone, the red flags and what to do.

On a call the pressure is live: no time to read, no time to check, and a rule that you must not tell anyone. FASTag Recharge Link Scam is one of the ways this shows up: A message says your FASTag balance is low or blocked and gives a link to recharge. The page steals card details or collects a payment.

What fastag recharge link scam looks like over the phone

• An unknown or international number, or a number that looks like a real office.
• A calm, official voice that already knows your name or the last digits of your card.
• Being told to stay on the line and not to tell your family.

The scammer sends a mass message that mentions FASTag, a low balance or a blacklist warning. They know that many drivers travel often and rely on the tag, so a warning about a toll plaza creates real worry. The message has a short link and sometimes a phone number to call for 'quick help', which is placed where it looks official.

Red flags to check on the phone call

• A FASTag warning arrives with a link and a short deadline.
• The page asks for card details and an OTP to recharge.
• A phone number in the message is offered for quick help.
• A penalty or blacklist is mentioned to make you hurry.
• The caller asks for an OTP, UPI PIN, card PIN or CVV.
• You are told that a case, arrest, block or penalty is coming within minutes.

What to do

1. Do not tap the link or call the number in the message.
2. Check your balance in the app of your tag issuer or your bank's own app.
3. Recharge only through the official app or website you type yourself.
4. If you already installed an app on the call, uninstall it and switch on airplane mode, then call your bank at once.
5. Tell a family member and report the number on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility).
6. Hang up. A real bank or office will not mind that you call them back.

Report the number on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility). If money moved, call 1930 immediately.

If money or a code is already gone

1. Call 1930 right away with the payment details.
2. Tell your bank through the number on your card and ask to block the card used.
3. Report at https://cybercrime.gov.in with the message and page screenshots.
4. Remove any app installed on the caller's advice and change banking passwords.

National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930; report at cybercrime.gov.in.

Safeavio's link check looks at a recharge link before you open it for lookalike domains, shortened links and risky patterns, and the scam check shows why a low-balance message looks like urgency and a money demand. It cannot check your FASTag balance, so use your tag issuer's official app or the number printed on your tag documents. It also cannot check your tag.

Full guide: FASTag Recharge Link Scam: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: SMS, WhatsApp, fake app.

Questions