Kerala jewellers targeted by scammers using fake UPI payment confirmations

Small business owners across Kerala are falling victim to a wave of UPI fraud in which scammers display fake payment confirmations on their phones to walk away with goods without paying, prompting merchants' bodies to launch awareness campaigns.

Muvattupuzha jewellers lose ₹22,000

Two silver merchants in Muvattupuzha were duped of ₹16,000 and ₹6,000 respectively after a man showed them fake payment screenshots on his mobile phone while purchasing ornaments recently. CCTV footage from one of the shops has circulated widely, and the Muvattupuzha police have opened an investigation after the merchants filed complaints.

Pattern emerges across the State

The Muvattupuzha incidents follow an arrest by Perumpadappu police in Malappuram a month earlier, when a youth was detained for allegedly using a fake application to simulate successful transactions on a popular UPI platform. He reportedly used the technique to steal gold ornaments and a smartphone from different shops. A similar fraud was also reported at a major flower show in Wayanad earlier this year.

Single-operator shops easy targets

"Many of us have been falling prey to different types of UPI-based frauds of late. Often, the fraudsters target small-scale shops run by a single person. The frauds frequently occur because the sellers do not suspect the scammers," said Ajmal Chakkungal, president of the Muvattupuzha Merchants Association. His association, which has 2,200 members, has started an active campaign to sensitise merchants and vendors to potential frauds. Merchants' forums across the State have stepped up similar campaigns in response to the repeated incidents.

Cyber police sources said traders had repeatedly been advised not to rely solely on payment screenshots, which could be manipulated or generated using fake applications.

Source: The Hindu