Mangalore has been witnessing rising incidents of QR code of late. Crooks posing as army personnel are duping gullible shopowners of their hard earned money. In one of the latest incidents an electronics shopkeeper in central business district area received a call with the caller addressing himself as an army officer. 

He booked a refrigerator and told the shopkeeper that he would make digital payment. The shopkeeper shared the digital wallet number to which the conman transferred a small amount as advance payment. He then called the shop again saying that he sent a QR code to scan, to the shopkeeper’s number on WhatsApp, doing which he could transfer the remaining amount. Convinced the shopkeeper scanned it and immediately the money from his bank account was transferred to the conman’s account. 

Incidents like these are rising and people believe when the caller says that he is working with the Indian Army. However, these are cyber criminals who have found a new modus operandi to do crime and predominantly they target shops and restaurants, said a police official. 

Victims are losing money, ranging from Rs.25,000 to Rs.50,000, and in some cases even more. Incidents like these happen usually on weekends, Saturday and Sunday, when banks are mostly closed.