WhatsApp users alert! Beware of this new technique used by scammers to steal money

Many of us use unified payments interface (UPI) to process day to day transactions. WhatsApp payments has made it even more convenient to send and receive money as users have to just scan a QR code and enter the amount to send it.

While it is easy to make payments this way, it is also a common way for fraudsters to scam people and steal their money.  

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Online scams are not a new thing now and many people have reported about being scammed in unique ways. With rising digitisation, the crime of online fraud is also rising. Some scammers use the QR code system to commit crime.

Here’s what you should know about QR codes so you can avoid getting stuck in a WhatsApp scam

QR code is often understood as an easy way to process online payments, but it is also an easy way to scam all those users who are not aware of the techniques that fraudsters use to fool people.

If you are running an e-commerce website that sells any service or product, these scammers pose as interested buyers and ask you all the details about the product to look authentic.

Thereafter, they share a QR code with you on WhatsApp and ask you to scan it via Google Pay or any UPI-based application that you use so they can get the money in their bank account.

By following the scammer’s instructions, you will lose money instead of receiving it.

Let us tell you that this is just one way that scammers use to trick people. There are many other ways to trap innocent people.

Besides using the common QR code method, you should always check the UPI ID or the name of the person you want to send money to. IF you scan any random QR code sent by a scammer and then enter your MPIN, which is a mobile PIN, you will end up losing your hard-earned money.

Notably, WhatsApp allows users to save a contact number with the help of a QR code and hence you should share this code only with trustworthy people.