Kolkata Police’s cyber cell warned on Thursday that counterfeit Durga Puja donation QR stickers are appearing on pandal railings, diverting devotees’ UPI payments to mule accounts before festival committees notice. Officers said at least 40 complaints surfaced in 72 hours across north and south Kolkata, with average losses of Rs 3,500 per donor.
How the scam works
Fraudsters print stickers that mimic official committee artwork, paste them over legitimate Bharat QR codes, and collect until volunteers peel the layers back. Because Gandhi Jayanti and Vijayadashami fall on the same day, foot traffic peaked Wednesday night while bank branches stayed shut Thursday, slowing freeze requests.
Police asked donors to verify treasurer phone numbers before scanning any code added in the last 48 hours.Enforcement
Detectives traced several mule chains to Jharkhand and Assam wallets opened with synthetic identities, a pattern similar to coupon-refund scams the National Payments Corporation of India has been suspending ahead of Diwali. Cyber cell teams coordinated with banks to freeze 28 accounts, recovering Rs 9.2 lakh before transfers cleared.
Organisers at prominent north Kolkata pandals said they now station volunteers at donation counters and rotate QR placards indoors after midnight. The West Bengal government’s Puja grant disbursal portal also published a hotline for committees to report tampering.
Holiday complications
With lenders closed for Gandhi Jayanti, some victims could only file National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal tickets online. Officers promised expedited notices to payment apps once branches reopen Friday.
Prevention
Experts urged donors to use named-payee UPI handles that display committee registrations, not static stickers alone. For large corporate sponsorships, direct bank transfers still beat anonymous QR scans.
Legal routes
Victims filed First Information Reports under IT Act sections covering cheating by impersonation; lawyers said civil recovery against payment apps hinges on proving negligent KYC at onboarding. Apps responded that they froze wallets within hours once police supplied transaction hashes.
Committee safeguards
Large committees now print QR codes on tamper-evident vinyl and post treasurer mobile numbers on bamboo gates. Corporate sponsors wiring lakhs through NEFT bypass stickers entirely, a practice cyber cell officers encourage for any donation above Rs 10,000.
Regional spread
Assam and Odisha police issued similar advisories after copycat stickers appeared near immersion ghats, suggesting the tactic may ride the festival circuit unless NPCI’s handle suspensions deter mule farmers.
Legal routes
Victims filed First Information Reports under IT Act sections covering cheating by impersonation; lawyers said civil recovery against payment apps hinges on proving negligent KYC at onboarding. Apps responded that they froze wallets within hours once police supplied transaction hashes.
Committee safeguards
Large committees now print QR codes on tamper-evident vinyl and post treasurer mobile numbers on bamboo gates. Corporate sponsors wiring lakhs through NEFT bypass stickers entirely, a practice cyber cell officers encourage for any donation above Rs 10,000.
Regional spread
Assam and Odisha police issued similar advisories after copycat stickers appeared near immersion ghats, suggesting the tactic may ride the festival circuit unless NPCI’s handle suspensions deter mule farmers.
Bank holiday friction
Because Gandhi Jayanti closed branches, some victims could not obtain stamped police copies needed for chargeback forms; officers urged apps to accept digital FIR receipts uploaded through the national cyber portal.