Authorities in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district are investigating a series of thefts involving the replacement of UPI QR codes outside shops with fraudulent ones. The incidents, which occurred in the Khajuraho region, have affected several businesses, including petrol pumps, medical shops, and eateries.
According to police, fraudsters swapped the legitimate QR codes on shop fronts, or in some cases, simply pasted new fraudulent codes over the existing ones. These altered QR codes redirected payments from unsuspecting customers to the fraudsters’ accounts.
Khajuraho Police Station in-charge Atul Dixit confirmed the incidents and stated that while no formal complaints had been filed by shopkeepers, the matter was being thoroughly investigated. “We are looking into the issue, and the culprits will be caught soon,” Dixit told India Today.
The thefts came to light when shop owners, upon opening their stores in the morning, realized they were not receiving any payments from customers. In one case, Omvati Gupta, who runs a medical shop, was alerted by a buyer who noticed that the scanned QR code displayed the name “Chhotu Tiwari” instead of the shop’s name. Gupta immediately replaced the fraudulent code and checked her store’s CCTV footage, which revealed three masked individuals replacing the original QR code late at night.
Other affected establishments include a petrol pump where customers reported seeing the same fraudulent “Chhotu Tiwari” QR code. Nitesh Gupta, another victim, reported losing ₹985 and ₹10 due to the fraudulent QR code at his shop. Additionally, a popular biryani and egg shop, a paan shop, and several other local businesses were targeted by the scammers.
The authorities have urged shopkeepers to remain vigilant and check their QR codes regularly. The investigation is ongoing, and police are hopeful of apprehending the perpetrators soon.
Sources By Agencies
