Mumbai: A female painter fell victim to an online fraud, losing Rs. 42,999 in the process. She had placed an advertisement on Facebook to sell one of her paintings, and a fraudster, posing as an Indian Army employee, expressed interest in making a purchase. An unidentified individual has been named in a case filed for alleged cheating.
How the painter was duped using QR code
According to the police, the 35-year-old painter, residing in Bandra West, creates and sells paintings through Facebook advertisements. She linked her mobile number with Facebook for easy communication with potential buyers. On August 22, she posted an ad for a new painting. The following day, she received a message from an individual claiming to be Murti and working in the Indian Army. The person conveyed interest in purchasing the painting and agreed to the painter's asking price of Rs. 11,000. The supposed buyer requested that the painting be sent to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Airport, Gate No. 2. The painter shared her Gpay number as requested.
The fraudster then sent his office Identity Card and asked the painter to reciprocate with her own Identity Card. She sent her Visiting Card online. The scammer further sent a QR code, urging her to scan it. Initially, she scanned the QR code and received Rs. 2. The fraudster claimed this was a test to verify the correct account. He then requested another scan, leading to a credit of only Rs. 100. This pattern continued, with the scammer persuading her to scan the QR code multiple times, resulting in no additional funds being received. The fraudster eventually turned off his phone, raising suspicions.
The painter lamented, "Cyber frauds are increasing every day. It's unfortunate that fraudsters are deceiving people under the guise of the Indian Army. I trusted them because they claimed to be associated with the Indian Army."
Ultimately, she filed a case under sections 420 of the IPC Act and 66(c) and 66(d) of the Information Technology Act at Khar police station.
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