A businessman from Punjab's Khanna city experienced a bizarre and unsettling financial shock when his bank notified him of a toll deduction from his FASTag account for a journey he never made. This incident has raised serious questions about the security and technical reliability of India's electronic toll collection system.
The Mysterious Midnight Toll Deduction
Gurpreet Singh, a 41-year-old trader, was at his home in Khanna, Ludhiana, when he received an automated message from his bank. The alert stated that Rs 150 had been deducted from his FASTag wallet at the Kiranj toll plaza. The shocking part? The Kiranj toll plaza is located approximately 350 kilometers away on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Haryana, while Singh's vehicle was securely parked outside his residence.
"My first reaction was disbelief, followed by panic. I actually ran outside to physically check if my car was still there," Gurpreet Singh recounted to the Times of India. He confirmed, "I have never even driven on that particular highway route where this toll was supposedly charged from my account." The immediate deduction prompted him to take swift action to secure his finances and report the anomaly.
Immediate Actions and Official Responses
Upon discovering the unauthorized transaction, Singh immediately contacted two key authorities. He first reached out to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) helpline to register a formal complaint about the erroneous toll charge. An NHAI official, responding to his complaint on Monday evening, assured him that he would be informed about the investigation's outcome within 24 hours.
Simultaneously, he called his bank's customer care department. The bank's representatives acknowledged the issue, terming it a probable "technical glitch." They promised Singh that his money would be refunded, though the process could take up to 15 days. This incident is not an isolated one, pointing to a potential systemic vulnerability.
A Pattern of FASTag Frauds Emerges
Gurpreet Singh's alarming experience finds an echo in a similar case from the same locality, suggesting a troubling pattern. On March 31, another Khanna resident, Paramjit Ahuja, received a message that his vehicle had crossed the Dharer Azizpur toll plaza. At the time of the transaction, Ahuja's car was also parked at his home. A sum of Rs 45 was deducted from his FASTag account for this phantom journey.
Unlike Singh, who was promised a refund, Ahuja reported that he never received his money back. The occurrence of two such incidents in quick succession within the same city underscores the urgent need for a robust review of the FASTag system's security protocols and error-resolution mechanisms.
These events highlight critical concerns for millions of FASTag users across India. While the system has revolutionized toll collection, ensuring its immunity to technical errors and fraudulent deductions is paramount for maintaining public trust. Users are advised to regularly monitor their FASTag transaction alerts and report any discrepancies immediately to both their bank and the NHAI.
