Fake UPI apps conning establishment owners

Hyderabad: A new form of cyberfraud has emerged, targeting business owners who rely on sound-box alerts for payment confirmations. Fraudsters are using counterfeit payment gateway applications—designed to mimic legitimate platforms like UPI, PhonePe, and Google Pay — to trick establishments into believing they have received payments when no money is actually transferred.

According to cybercrime researchers, these fake apps closely resemble genuine payment platforms, even displaying a false transaction confirmation on sound boxes. Businesses often mistake these alerts for authentic payments, only realising the deception after the funds fail to appear in their accounts.

Speaking on the issue, cybercrime researcher Sultan Sheik explained that the fraudulent apps are readily available on various online platforms, including Telegram. “The scammers continually update their tactics and have now developed near-perfect replicas of official payment gateways,” he said. “These applications can display fake payment notifications, and some even simulate the entire transaction process.”

Sheik added that the deception typically succeeds when businesses are busy and only notice the confirmation sound rather than verifying the transaction. As a result, fraudsters can acquire goods or services without actually paying.

While cyberexperts have identified this emerging scheme, a cybercrime unit official said that no cases have been officially registered yet. Nevertheless, authorities are urging retailers and business owners to exercise caution. They recommend verifying each payment — beyond relying on audio or visual cues from sound boxes—to safeguard against this new wave of scams.