QR code fraud: Woman held for duping Ahmedabad travel firm of ₹33 lakh

The Satellite police have arrested a woman for allegedly cheating an Ahmedabad-based travel company and its customers of over ₹33.87 lakh by diverting payments through a manipulated QR code, officials said.

The accused, identified as Unnati Patel, was taken into custody following a complaint filed by Alapbhai Modi, proprietor of Ajay Modi Travels, based in the Vastrapur area.

According to the police, Patel had been associated with the firm since 2022 on a commission basis. She had initially sought a franchise from the company but, after failing to secure one, began handling tour bookings independently while continuing to use the company’s name.

Investigators said the accused created a QR code that displayed the travel firm’s name but was linked to her personal bank account. Customers making payments for tour and flight bookings were allegedly misled into transferring money directly to her account instead of the company’s.

To execute the fraud, Patel is believed to have opened a bank account under the name ‘Unnati Enterprise’ at a private bank in Gandhinagar and provided misleading information to bank officials to configure the QR code. “The accused manipulated digital payment details to gain the trust of customers and divert funds,” said Vinod Chaudhary, Police Inspector, Satellite Police Station.

The fraud came to light when customers approached the travel company after failing to receive refunds for cancelled tickets. Upon verification, the firm discovered that payments had not been credited to its accounts.

Police said Patel collected over ₹33.87 lakh through multiple transactions, but neither passed on the amount to the company nor refunded the customers. To protect its reputation, the travel firm reportedly reimbursed affected customers from its own funds, incurring substantial financial losses.

A case of cheating and criminal breach of trust has been registered against the accused. She has been produced before a court, and the police have initiated remand proceedings to further investigate the financial trail and identify any accomplices.