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The Cyber Police Station of North District, Delhi, has cracked a QR code tampering-based cyber fraud case and arrested the mastermind following a detailed investigation and technical analysis, police said on Tuesday.
According to police, the case came to light after a complainant visited a reputed garment shop in Chandni Chowk on December 13 to purchase a lehenga worth Rs 2.50 lakh. During the purchase, the complainant made two digital payments of Rs 90,000 and Rs 50,000, totalling Rs 1.40 lakh, by scanning QR codes displayed at the shop. Later, the shop management informed the complainant that the amount had not been credited to their official bank account. Despite showing payment screenshots, the complainant was told that no money had been received, following which an online complaint was lodged. Based on the complaint, e-FIR No. 58/25 dated December 13, under Sections 318(4)/319/340 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered at Cyber Police Station, North District. During the investigation, a police team conducted a spot inspection of the shop, verified the billing and digital payment process, and recorded statements of the complainant, shop owner, and staff. Examination of billing software, bank records, and transaction details revealed that the payment had been diverted to an unrelated bank account. Technical analysis of the UPI transaction trail showed that the Rs 1.40 lakh that was defrauded had been credited to a bank account operated from Rajasthan. Using bank records, mobile data, and digital footprints, police traced the accused and conducted an inter-state operation in Jaipur district. The accused, Manish Verma (19), a resident of Chaksu in Jaipur district of Rajasthan, was apprehended during raids. Police said the accused admitted to editing genuine merchant QR codes to divert customer payments into his own bank account. Mobile phones seized from him contained more than 100 edited and original QR codes, chats, screenshots, and financial records. Investigation revealed that the accused used image-editing applications to alter genuine QR codes by replacing the merchant's bank details with his own, while keeping the appearance unchanged. These QR codes were then used at shops, causing customers to unknowingly transfer money to the accused. Police said the accused disclosed that he was inspired by scenes from a South Indian movie titled "Vettaiyan". Further investigation is underway. (ANI)
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