An 18-year-old student from Sidedahalli, north Bengaluru, lost Rs 90,000 to a QR code scam while attempting to sell her “One Piece: East Blue” comic volumes on OLX.
The scam, which unfolded after she posted an ad to earn pocket money, shows the rising threat of digital payment frauds in Bengaluru, reported The CSR Journal, today, Saturday, June 21.
What happened?
The victim was contacted within two days of posting the AD by a man identifying himself as Ashok Agarwal, who expressed interest in buying two books for Rs 1,500. Speaking in Hindi, he agreed to her price and promised payment before sending an employee to collect the books.
When the student suggested using a digital payment app, Agarwal insisted on a bank transaction and sent a QR code for a Rs 1 “account verification.”
After scanning it, she received a “transaction failed” message, but Rs 1 was credited, building her trust. A second QR code for Rs 1,500 was sent, but scanning it led to unauthorised debits totalling Rs 90,000 from her and her mother’s accounts.
Her father’s intervention and quick police action froze the scammer’s account.
Rise in QR code scams
Bengaluru has witnessed a spike in QR code-related frauds, with police reporting over 50,000 cybercrime cases from 2017 to May 2023, 41% of which involved QR codes, malicious links, or card frauds.
Scammers typically pose as buyers or sellers on platforms like OLX, gain trust, and send malicious QR codes that authorise payments from victims’ accounts instead of transferring funds.
The visual similarity of QR codes makes it hard for users to spot fakes, and malicious codes can also lead to phishing sites or malware installation. Financial losses in such scams range from thousands to over lakhs of rupees.
Expert advice
Cyber experts and authorities urge caution when dealing with unknown parties online. They advise against scanning QR codes from strangers, especially when selling items, as QR codes are typically used to make payments, not receive them. Recommendations include using trusted payment methods, verifying the other party’s identity, and staying vigilant.
