A teenager from Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, lost over ₹15 lakh after being impacted by a relatively complex QR code phishing scam. The young man, who hails from a builder’s family and is studying business management at a reputed institute in Vile Parle, was on the lookout for a rental house near the college to spare an hour’s Journey from Navi Mumbai daily.
In their statement, the police noted that the teenager typed a query on Google that led them to a site that claimed to help people find rental homes. He dialed the number provided on the site and later arranged to meet the bogus e-card sender. The con artist threatened him that he would provide a favorable living place after the teenager paid him ₹10,000. The scammer then copied the cashier and sent the victim’s mobile phone a QR code to complete the transaction.
The suspect, who was named Deepak Chavan, proposed several transactions, saying that the preceding payments were unsuccessful. The total sum transmitted by the victim rose to an alarming ₹15,84,095. Every time the man tried to pay the amount, he was informed that the previous transaction was not successful hence he continued sending money. The fraudster persuaded the victim that such money would be refunded back once the accommodation was not sourced, deepening the scam.
According to the police report, the fraudulent activity started on September 24 and ended on October 13, when the teenager drew money into ten unique bank accounts. These included mainly the money that he used to send. It was his father’s money that was in a bank account in his name. For some reason, the victim eventually understood he was scammed and wanted his money back, but the accused convinced him to return even more, claiming a full refund this time.
The police at Kharghar have lodged a complaint under section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act of 2000.
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