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"You have a traffic fine, pay it at this link": the message that impersonates the Public P

An SMS in the name of Egypt Post or the Public Prosecution says you owe a fine and asks you to pay or appeal through a link. The campaign has run for months; the only official fines site is the Prosec

Kansel2 min read

A busy street full of cars in Cairo

The message

"You have a traffic violation dated 8/1/2026. Appeal or pay your fines at the nearest post office or at the following link." The sender name looks like Egypt Post, and the link looks official from a distance. It reaches people with cars and people without, with the same date, because it goes out by the thousand.

The link opens a page styled like a government portal, with a field for your plate number or national ID, then "pay the fine" with your card. There is no fine. What gets recorded is the card number, its expiry and the code on the back.

What the authorities said

On 17 January 2026 the Cabinet's Media Center, after checking with the National Post Authority, said these messages are fake and not sent by Egypt Post, and that their links exist to break into citizens' accounts. Egypt Post confirmed that any genuine message about fines contains exactly one link: the Public Prosecution's official site, ppo.gov.eg. A message with any other link is suspect.

The official place to check and pay traffic fines is the Public Prosecution's website, and its address ends in gov.eg. Any other address, however it looks, is not it.

How to tell in a second

  • The address: the real one ends in gov.eg. The fake uses a company-style name or a word close to "aman" or "post" on an ordinary domain like .com.
  • The sender name: a Latin-script name that resembles "EGYPT POST" proves nothing; sender names are easy to forge.
  • The details: a real fine has a plate number, a place and a type. The fake has only a date, and the same date reaches thousands of people.
  • Payment: Egypt Post collects fines at the counter, with your ID and the car's licence, not through a link in a message.

What to do

  1. Don't tap the link, not even to look. Delete the message.
  2. If you want to know whether you really have a fine, type the Public Prosecution's address into the browser yourself and search by plate number. Never through a link that came to you.
  3. If you entered card details: block the card with the bank immediately, ask for a new one, and watch your statement.
  4. Report the number in Kansel, and report to the cybercrime police on 108 if you lost money.

Sources

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