Before you scan: police warn of QR code and online payment scams

Police are urging people to be careful with QR codes and payment links, as fraudsters increasingly use them to trick people into sending money.

Remember: you never need to scan a QR code or enter your UPI PIN to receive money. If someone asks you to scan a code to collect a refund, a prize or a payment for something you are selling, it is a scam.

Before paying a shop or a stranger, check the name that appears on the screen after scanning. Never share OTPs or PINs, and be wary of unexpected calls asking you to install apps or click links.

If you have been cheated, call the national cyber fraud helpline 1930 or file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in as soon as possible — the sooner you report, the better the chance of stopping the money.

Photo: Tomsimon67, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.