TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2024
Team Herald
PONDA: Ponda police received two complaints of fraud targetting shopkeepers accepting digital/UPI payments.
In one case, a shopkeeper’s QR code, used for customer payments, was found to have been tampered with at Tisk-Ponda. A different QR code was stuck in its place. Customers, unaware of the alteration, continued to deposit money via the QR code, only to discover later that their payments did not reach the shopkeeper.
In the second case, a similar fraudulent practice were observed in Warkhande, Ponda, where another shopkeeper fell victim to QR code manipulation by unknown person. Ponda PI Tushar Lotlikar stated that so far there are no suspects. The cases are under investigation, he told O Heraldo.
Unique QR codes allotted to these traders, intended for seamless digital transactions, were altered, resulting in substantial losses. Currently, shopkeepers are vulnerable to exploitation through QR code manipulation, especially if they do not double-check the receipt of funds after every transaction.
These incidents highlight a concerning trend of financial exploitation, prompting some shopkeepers to temporarily suspend online payments as a precautionary measure. Law enforcement authorities suspect that such fraud schemes may extend beyond Ponda, urging heightened vigilance among all merchants.
Investigations into these incidents are complicated by the immediate transfer of stolen funds to accounts in different States, impeding police efforts. Additionally, the absence of security measures, such as surveillance cameras or audible transaction notifications, heightens the vulnerability of shopkeepers to such fraudulent activities.
