It was a Tuesday evening. I had just posted an ad to sell my old sofa set for ₹15,000. Within 20 minutes, I got a call.
"Hello sir, I like your sofa. I am an Army Officer posting in a remote area. I cannot come to collect it, but I will send my truck. Can I pay you an advance now?"
He sounded polite, professional, and urgent. He sent me a photo of his ID card (which I later realized was fake). I felt lucky to find a buyer so quickly. That was my first mistake: I let my guard down because of greed and urgency.
He sent a QR code on WhatsApp. It had the text "Receive ₹5,000" written on it. I opened my UPI app (PhonePe) and scanned it.
The screen showed "Pay ₹5,000". I paused. I asked him, "Sir, it says Pay? I want to Receive."
He laughed confidently. "No sir, this is a Merchant QR. In Army accounts, it shows like that. You just enter PIN, the money will get credited to you. Trust me."
And there it was. The pressure. The confident voice. The military ID. I typed my 6-digit PIN. Beep.
I panicked. "Sir! Money got cut!"
"Oh sorry sir! Server error. Don't worry. I am sending a refund QR code for ₹10,000 (₹5000 refund + ₹5000 advance). Scan this, and you will get everything back."
In my panic to get my money back, I stopped thinking. I scanned again. Entered PIN again.
By the time I realized what was happening, I had lost ₹50,000 in 4 transactions. He blocked me.
The Autopsy: Why Did This Happen?
I am an educated person. I work in IT. How did I fall for this? Looking back, the scammer used three specific psychological triggers:
- AUTHORITY He used the "Army Officer" persona. We are conditioned to trust men in uniform. He knew I wouldn't question an officer's integrity.
- URGENCY "My truck is leaving in 30 mins." He didn't give me time to think or Google "UPI QR code scam".
- CONFUSION He exploited the fact that many of us don't subconsciously realize that PIN is strictly for SENDING money.
The Golden Rule of UPI
You NEVER need to enter your PIN to receive money. Not for a refund. Not for a lottery. Not for an Army truck. If you are entering a PIN, money is leaving your account.
The Recovery: What I Did Next (The Golden Hour)
I felt ashamed, but I acted fast. This is exactly what you need to do if this happens to you. The first 60 minutes (Golden Hour) are crucial.
Called 1930 Immediately
I didn't go to the police station first. I dialed 1930 (National Cyber Crime Helpline). They created a ticket and alerted the beneficiary bank to freeze the scammer's account.
Filed Complaint at Cybercrime.gov.in
I logged into the portal using the ticket number from 1930. I uploaded screenshots of the chat and the transaction IDs.
Visited My Bank Branch
I went to HDFC Bank with the Cybercrime FIR copy. They initiated a "Chargeback" request.
It took 3 months of following up, but because I acted within 20 minutes of the transaction, the police managed to freeze ₹35,000 in the scammer's account before he could withdraw it. I got that money back via a court order.
Don't Be A Victim. Be Prepared.
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