Jharsuguda: Police in Jharsuguda have detained two individuals accused of deceiving people by displaying fraudulent UPI payment confirmations while collecting cash without completing any actual transactions, as stated by officials on Saturday.
The suspects have been named as Ranjan Barik, aged 29, and Md Sahbaj, 36, both of whom reside in Ghumadera under the jurisdiction of Belpahad police. Authorities also confiscated a mobile phone and a motorcycle from their possession.
As per police reports, the suspects would approach individuals and request cash under various pretenses, such as the lack of access to an ATM or urgent medical needs. They claimed they would process payments via UPI in exchange for cash, leading victims to believe that the transactions were instantaneous.
In one instance, the suspects allegedly approached a victim requesting Rs 10,900 in cash, asserting that the sum would be sent through PhonePe. After scanning the victim’s QR code, they presented a counterfeit payment confirmation on their phone using a fraudulent application.
Convinced that the payment was legitimate, the victim handed over the cash, only to discover later that their account had not received any funds. The victim subsequently filed a complaint with law enforcement.
During the investigation, authorities uncovered additional complaints indicating that the suspects had swindled individuals out of amounts ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000.
Police revealed that the suspects utilized a fake or imitated payment interface designed to mimic a successful PhonePe transaction. The bogus payment confirmation reportedly misled victims into thinking the money had been transferred, prompting them to provide cash or goods.
Jharsuguda Superintendent of Police Gundala Reddy Raghavendra noted that the accused had been operating in the region for the last two months. The total amount involved in the complaints filed thus far is estimated at Rs 45,400, with expectations that this figure may increase as the investigation continues.
