Police in the Khajuraho region of Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district are investigating a string of thefts where fraudsters swapped QR codes displayed outside various shops and businesses, diverting payments into their own accounts.
Reports indicate that nearly half a dozen establishments, including petrol stations, were affected by this scam. In some cases, the original QR codes were replaced, while in other instances, fake codes were placed directly over the genuine ones.
Atul Dixit, in charge of Khajuraho police station, confirmed the thefts, stating, “The matter has come to our attention, although no formal complaints have been filed by the shopkeepers yet. We are investigating the issue and the culprits will be caught soon.”
The fraud was uncovered when store owners noticed they weren’t receiving payments from customers. Omvati Gupta, who runs a medical store, shared that a customer pointed out that the QR code they scanned showed a different name, “Chhotu Tiwari,” instead of her store’s name. After replacing the fraudulent code, Gupta reviewed CCTV footage, which revealed three masked individuals replacing the legitimate QR code late at night.
Customers also reported seeing a QR code with the same “Chhotu Tiwari” name at a petrol station.
In another case, Nitesh Gupta, a store owner, lost ₹985 and ₹10 to a similar fraudulent QR code on his shop. Other affected businesses included a popular biryani and egg shop, a paan shop, and other local establishments.
Authorities have urged business owners to regularly check their QR codes and report any suspicious activity.
