Woman scans QR code, loses 91,847

An alarming number of citizens are falling prey to QR code scamsters and losing thousands of rupees in a split second. Recently, a 42-year-old housewife lost Rs 91,847 af ter she was lured to an online offer where she was asked to scan a QR code to avail it. While Juhu Police have registered a case against an unidentified person, the probe is underway. According to police, the incident occurred on June 19 when a Juhu-based housewife saw an offer where she could earn thousands in a work-from-home opportunity. When the woman tried to avail the offer, she received a call from a man, who explained to her the terms of the job and sent her a QR Code to authenticate the process. He also said that she will receive Rs 3,000 in her account to start her work.

The woman, who was keen to earn some extra money during the lockdown, quickly scanned the QR code and waited for the payment to come through. The moment the woman scanned the QR code, Rs 91,847 was deducted from her husband's account.

When the woman's husband inquired, she narrated the whole incident. The couple then approached Juhu Police and lodged a complaint, after which they went to the bank and blocked the account. Meanwhile, a senior inspector said that they have time and again appealed to the citizens to not fall prey to such tricks, but to no avail. Police, however, have initiated an investigation into the matter and have booked the unidentified accused under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Information Technology Act.