Scammers plant fake QR codes at MP shops to divert payments
QR CODE SCAM P.Naveen@timesofindia.com 15.01.2025
Bhopal : Digital scammers came up with a new tactic in the temple city of Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district, replacing legitimate QR codes of around a dozen shops and a petrol pump with fakes. Payments made by customers were redirected to fraudsters’ accounts. The fraud came to the attention of authorities when traders, including Omvati Gupta, the operator of a medical store, reported suspicious payment issues. Gupta noticed that when a customer attempted to make a payment in the morning, the QR code displayed the name and account details of one ‘Chhotu Tiwari’ instead of hers. Gupta immediately replaced the fraudulent QR code with a new one and alerted the cops. At the petrol pump, the owner experienced issues with payments not being credited to his account. One of the traders in Narayan Market reported a loss of ₹985 and ₹1; the fraud was also detected at other locations, including Khajuraho Petrol Pump, Bade Bhaiya Paan Wale, and Rajesh Medical store. The total amount misappropriated is being verified. The shopkeepers removed the QR codes once they realised the scam. Khajuraho Police urged local businesses to remain vigilant and regularly inspect their QR code scanners.
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