‘RTOs have not put up mobile numbers on web’
Searching for contact numbers of Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) online? RTO officials want you to be careful as a number of people have fallen prey to fake webpages and contact numbers, losing money.
According to RTO officials, the department has only put up landline numbers on websites, while fraudsters have put up mobile numbers. When one searches for the number of a particular RTO, these mobile numbers appear on top of the list. While RTOs have requested the police to remove the fake numbers and webpages, the officials have also urged people not to share bank details or one-time passwords (OTPs) with unknown people.
A senior RTO officer, who did not wish to be named, said, “Nearly 70% of the 50 RTO offices in the state are facing this problem.”
Kalyan and Nashik RTOs have registered complaints with the police after some victims approached them. A web search give these two numbers – 09129132486 and 09330321206 – which don’t belong to the RTO.
Similar mobile numbers appear for Tardeo and Wadala RTOs, while landline numbers appear when you search for numbers of Andheri and Borivli RTOs.
RTO officials told HT that when people call these fake numbers, the conmen ask them to make online payments.
In one such incident, when a woman, who was waiting for her driving licence, called the mobile number, she was asked to send ₹5 for postal charges, besides filling up a form sent via SMS. When she filled up the form, which sought her bank details, she received an OTP on mobile. The person then asked her to forward the message to another number. As soon as she shared it, ₹46,890 was debited from her account. She immediately informed the Nashik RTO about the incident.