What is visible to the rational mind may not be very clear all the time. Intuitively, we all know that a QR code has to be scanned to make a payment via UPI, but some scammers manage to convince their gullible victims that this method is also used to receive money. can be used.
What may strike you down is the fact that they repeatedly succeed in their nefarious deeds.
Take a sample of it. Earlier this year, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s daughter Harshita was the victim of an online scam. She Tried Selling an Old Sofa Set on an Online Second-Hand Marketplace, But Was Instead Scammed 34,000
And she’s not alone. Many such cases have come to the fore recently.
Another victim of online fraud shared his story on the Reddit community of Mumbai.
This Mumbaikar wrote that he wants to sell his furniture on an online marketplace. After seeing the ad, a potential ‘buyer’ called her and asked her to scan the QR code.
Despite being initially reluctant, when he was positively told that this was the only way to sell furniture online, he became convinced.
Being a newbie in online sales, he scanned the QR code with the intention of receiving money, but lost 5,000 instead. To their surprise, the scammer inadvertently took the audacity to ask him to scan another QR code to receive the sent money.
But he did not fall into her trap again, but went to the police station to file a criminal complaint. What he saw there shocked him. He realized that such scams were happening day by day. someone claimed to lose 75K, while another person lost 14,000, etc. etc. etc.
A lesson to be learned from these non-motivating anecdotes is that no matter how tempting the offer, you should never scan a QR code to get paid.
Apart from QR code fraud, there are many ways in which scams are being carried out online, in which innocent victims are robbed of their hard earned money.
We list some of these here along with helpful tips:
A. Giving Remote Access: By downloading an unverified app, anyone can give remote access to their device. This can be used by fraudsters to steal money through UPI.
B. Phishing Scams: Some unauthorized payment links are sent through SMS. On clicking the link, you are taken to the UPI payment app on your phone. It will prompt you to select any app for auto debit. After giving permission, the amount will be deducted from your account immediately.
C. Sharing OTP and PIN: It is repeatedly warned by RBI that customers should not share their UPI PIN or OTP with anyone. Despite this, some fraudsters manage to persuade the customers to share the OTP received on their phone. After sharing it, fraudsters can authenticate illegal transactions and steal money.
D. Misleading Handle: Some smart hackers use names like BHIM or SBI on their UPI social pages to give the impression that it is a trusted UPI platform. Hence, UPI users must be careful with these tips.
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