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Digital Payment QR Scan Frauds

08 February, 2021 - By Bhanu

 

Digital payments have made life easy for millions of Indians. However, instances of payment frauds are also increasing. Did you know fraudsters can scam you even if they don’t have your card or bank account details? One such one fraud on the rise is the QR Code Fraud.

From being introduced in the 1990s to simply track product inventory, their versatile use has brought them a long way – from scannable restaurant menus, to customer engagement with brands, and even faster airport check-ins.

In this revolutionary time every update itself. Their widest use is in the contactless payment ecosystem – ‘Scan the QR code below and pay’. A QR (Quick Response) code is a two-dimensional barcode which is easily read by smartphones – all you need is a camera and an app to read the code.

But everything having pros and cons as well as in this blog let you know how to make QR code Fraud.

Here’s how QR Code Fraud works:
The fraudster sends you a picture of a QR code on WhatsApp or any other picture sharing app. The message will ask you to scan the code, enter an amount, and enter your UPI PIN to receive free cash rewards in your bank account. Alternatively, fraudsters will use apps which allow them to send a QR code with a pre-populated amount asking you to just enter your UPI PIN. As soon as you do that, money will get debited from your account.

Use following Safety methods :-

1. pay using these, only in secure and familiar environments
2. Don't Scan unknow QR code
3. Install and update security software regularly across devices
4. Once you scan the QR, a pop-up to view its embedded URL must emerge. If there is no URL, or if it seems like a shortened one (like bit.ly) – be cautious. It’s best to install a QR scanner that checks or displays the URL before it follows the link.