QR & Merchant Fraud India Medium risk
The QR Code Overlay
A fake QR sticker is pasted over the shop's real one, so your money goes to the scammer.
- Who scammers target
- Shoppers at street stalls, small shops and parking meters
- Typical reported loss
- $10 – $500 per payment
- Why people fall for this
- The code sits exactly where you expect it to, and almost nobody reads the payee name before paying.
How it works
- 1The fraudster prints a QR code linked to their own UPI ID.
- 2They paste it over the shop's genuine QR at a petrol pump, kirana store or parking lot.
- 3You scan and pay as usual — the money lands in the fraudster's account.
- 4The shopkeeper never receives a confirmation, and by then the fraudster has withdrawn the funds.
Real-world example
Rahul fills petrol worth ₹800 and scans the QR taped to the pump. His app shows the payee as "SK ENTERPRISES" instead of the pump's name, but he taps pay in a hurry. The attendant says no payment arrived, so Rahul pays again in cash — losing ₹800.
- The payee name in your payment app doesn't match the shop's name or board.
- The sticker looks freshly pasted, peels at the corners, or sits on top of another QR.
- The shop has no POS machine or passbook to cross-check the credit.
- Always read the payee name on the confirmation screen before entering your PIN.
- Ask the shopkeeper to confirm the name shown on your screen is theirs.
- Prefer paying by entering the shop's UPI number, or pay in cash if anything looks off.
- If you already paid, report it in the app immediately and call 1930 (cyber-crime helpline).
What it looks like
UPI · Confirm payment
Payee name
Payee: SK ENTERPRISES