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#87Shops and small businessesIn personFull guideBank, UPI and cards
QR code sticker swapped on the counter
Someone pastes their own QR code over yours, so customers' payments go to the scammer.
Community reports: 0
How it works
- A person quietly pastes a QR code over yours on the counter or at a petrol pump, parking lot or temple box.
- Customers scan it and pay, and the payment app shows a name that is not yours.
- You discover it only when your takings do not match your sales.
What it looks like
Example messages. Numbers and links are masked.
A new QR sticker placed over the shop's original one, showing a different payee name when scanned
A sticker pasted on a parking meter or a donation box
Red flags
- A sticker that looks new or slightly misaligned
- The payee name on the customer's screen is not yours
- Missing payments for sales you made
- No sound box alert after a customer pays
The one question to ask
Does the name shown after scanning match your shop's name?
Already paid or shared details?
Remove the sticker, check every QR code in the shop, and use a sound box or alert so that each payment is announced. Report the payee details shown on customers' screens at cybercrime.gov.in, and keep CCTV footage of the counter.
1930 · cybercrime.gov.in
Also seen as
- Fake QR codes on parking and toll signs
- Fake donation QR codes