QR-code scam hits Bachupally; police probe multiple fraud calls
HYDERABAD: A major QR-code fraud has surfaced in Hyderabad, with a shop owner in Bachupally losing ₹4 lakh after being deceived by a caller posing as a fellow tenant. The incident came to light following a complaint lodged at the Bachupally police station.
According to police, the shop owner, who recently moved into the Tomato Restaurant building on Bachupally–Nizampet Road, received a phone call from an unknown person claiming to occupy another unit in the same building. The caller sought urgent help, saying he would return ₹4 lakh in cash and asked the victim to first scan and pay through a QR code he sent.
Trusting the claim, the shop owner transferred the amount, only to later discover that the QR code was linked to a petrol pump and the entire call was part of a scam. Realising he had been duped, the victim immediately approached the police.
Police have since recorded statements from the owner of a nearby Indian Oil petrol pump after learning that multiple business owners in Bachupally, Mallampet, Nizampet and adjoining areas have received similar fraudulent calls. Investigators are examining CCTV footage and digital transaction data to identify the caller.
Authorities have issued a public advisory urging residents and shopkeepers to remain alert and verify any monetary requests made over phone or through unfamiliar QR codes.
