Digital Payment Fraud in Chandni Chowk: QR Code Tampering Scandal Unveiled

A 19-year-old from Rajasthan, Manish Verma, was apprehended for tampering with QR codes to divert payments in Delhi. A customer was cheated of Rs 1.40 lakh at a garment store. The police traced Verma through digital footprints and recovered evidence of his fraudulent activities.

A teenager from Rajasthan has been arrested for allegedly orchestrating a digital payment diversion scheme by tampering with merchant QR codes at various shops, including a notable scam in Chandni Chowk, Delhi, police reported on Tuesday.

Identified as Manish Verma, the 19-year-old was apprehended in Jaipur after an extensive inter-state operation. The case came to light when a customer was duped of Rs 1.40 lakh during a transaction at a garment store. The customer made two UPI payments, totalling Rs 1.40 lakh, which did not reflect in the shop's account.

Investigations revealed that the payments were illegally redirected to a bank account in Rajasthan. The police traced Verma using digital and technical evidence, and upon arrest, he confessed to the crime. Multiple edited QR codes and supporting evidence were recovered from his devices, hinting at a broader fraud network.

(With inputs from agencies.)