Planning to sell something on online marketplaces and e-commerce portals? Beware of the QR code scam and be sure to cross check the credentials of the person with whom you are striking a deal, or you may fall prey to the evil designs of cyber crooks who are constantly updating methods to siphon off money.
A 24-year-old woman working as a manager with a logistic company learnt it the hard way after she was duped of Rs. 50,000 via Quick Response (QR) code transactions.
In her statement to the police, the woman said that, soon after placing an advertisement on the popular e-commerce portal to sell a cupboard, she received a call from a crook posing as prospective buyer showing his interest to purchase the cupboard-on-sale.
After agreeing to pay Rs.35, 000 for the furniture, the caller said he was ready to make an online payment before taking the delivery. Subsequently, the crook generated a QR code and the unsuspecting woman scanned it without realizing that Rs. 35,000 was not being transferred to her but deducted from the specified account.
However, the fraudster did not stop here and went on to siphon-off another Rs.15, 000 by using the same modus operandi, this time under the guise of conducting a refund transaction.
The crook apparently kept his target engaged on the phone call while making her scan the QR code to wipe-out the cash from the bank account. The victim lost a total of Rs.50, 000 due to the fraudulent transactions, following which a complaint was registered at the Navghar police station in Bhayandar.
A case under section 420 of the IPC and the relevant sections of the Information Technology Act has been registered against the fraudsters, police said. Officials of the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) police have been appealing to people to be extremely cautious before entering into any type of financial transactions with strangers.
