Scam alert! Fake tenants in Bengaluru dupe landlords of Rs 1.2 lakh using QR codes

The tenant, who seemed 'genuine' to both victims, were asked to scan a QR code to receive an advance payment but instead lost five-figure sums

Two separate yet similar incidents of fraud took place in Bengaluru, where prospective tenants siphoned off money from property owners, using a QR code, according to a report by The Times of India.

Babu Reddy, a Whitefield resident had published an online advertisement to rent out his 1BHK house. A person who identified himself as Advesh Kumar approached Reddy, and after finalising a deal, asked the property owner to scan a QR code to verify bank details.

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Believing Kumar to be "a genuine person," Reddy initially scanned the code after which Rs 2 was debited from his account. Soon after, Kumar returned Rs 4 to Reddy. Kumar once again asked Reddy to scan another QR code so as to receive an advance payment of Rs 30,000 but upon scanning the code, he lost Rs 79,997.

In another eerily similar case, a person who identified himself as Advesh Kumar siphoned Rs 35,000 using the same method from 39-year-old Deepa Sistla, a Whitefield resident. Sistla had advertised her 2BHK property on an online platform as well.

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The report added that the police suspected the same gang to be behind both cases.