Polavaram Jana Sena MLA Chirri Balaraju fell victim to a cyber fraud and lost ₹12 lakh. According to reports, he received a message on his phone claiming that a traffic challan was pending. The message included a link that appeared to be from the Road Transport Authority.

Believing it to be an official notice, the MLA clicked on the link. Within minutes, multiple transactions were carried out from his bank account. A total of ₹12 lakh was debited before he could react.

As soon as he noticed the unauthorized transactions, he approached the police and filed a complaint at the Jeelugumilli police station. The police have registered a case and started an investigation with the help of the cyber crime department. Officials are now tracking the accounts where the money was transferred and trying to identify the source of the fraud.

Authorities say such scams have become very common in recent times. Fraudsters are sending fake links under the names of RTA challans, bank updates, courier deliveries, and KYC verification. These links are often shared through SMS, WhatsApp, or social media. Once clicked, they can steal personal and financial information from the device.

Andhra Pradesh DGP Harish Kumar Gupta has already issued warnings to the public. He advised people not to click on unknown links or download suspicious apps. He also stressed that all payments related to challans or bills should be made only through official websites or verified apps.

He further stated that if anyone falls victim to such fraud, they should immediately call the cyber helpline number 1930 or approach the nearest police station. Quick action can sometimes help in recovering the lost money.