10 months ago
Razorpay Co-founder Addresses New Payment Device Scam
Imagine you're paying for something, and the person uses a special machine like a phone.
Someone filmed a worker using this machine for parking fees, but instead of showing the real price, it showed a secret code to pay them directly, which is a scam.
Lots of people saw the video, and the company that makes these machines, called Razorpay, said they will fix it.
They plan to stop the machines from showing private pictures or secret codes unless it's really needed.
Some people think this is great, but others wonder if scammers will find new ways to cheat.
Another company even suggested their own machine is safer.
A video viral on X shows a parking attendant in New Delhi using a Razorpay POS terminal to scam a customer by displaying a private QR code.
The customer caught the fraud in action, halting the transaction and recording the incident.
Razorpay co-founder Shashank Kumar announced plans to disable gallery access on their POS devices to prevent similar scams.
The online reaction included praise for Razorpay's transparency, suggestions for further security enhancements, and accounts of similar scams.
Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma promoted his company's Paytm Soundbox as a device that helps prevent such offline cons.
- Who
- A parking attendant and a customer; Razorpay co-founder Shashank Kumar; online commenters; Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma
- What
- A scam involving a Razorpay POS terminal displaying a fraudulent QR code was captured on video, leading to a company response and discussion about security measures.
- Where
- New Delhi
- When
- The incident and video went viral recently, prompting a response from Razorpay.
- Why
- The parking attendant attempted to defraud a customer by displaying a QR code linked to a private account instead of the official parking payment channel.
Skeptics
Supporters
Effectiveness of Gallery Restriction
Skeptics
Argues that POS devices shouldn't have gallery access at all and suggests staged QR code generation for buyer verification.
Supporters
Praises the move as a solid step that builds trust and curbs risks, acknowledging Razorpay's significant role in powering transactions.
Future Vulnerabilities
Skeptics
Questions what will prevent sellers from skipping future updates once the gallery access is restricted.
Supporters
N/A
Key facts
- Company
- Razorpay
- Device
- Point of Sale (POS) terminal
- Alleged Scam Location
- New Delhi
- Scam Method
- Attendant displayed a QR code linked to a private account on a POS terminal to deceive a customer paying for parking.
- Razorpay's Planned Fix
- Disabling gallery access on POS devices, except where sellers explicitly require it.
Quotes
One more commenter
Online commenter
“Scams are everywhere now. A taxi driver once flashed a QR for 15,000 rupees after a 150-rupee fare. I scanned, checked the figure, and walked away.”
freepressjournal.in
“Essential step, Shashank. These cheats pop up nationwide, and Razorpay powers so much of it, so fixes like this curb the risks.”
freepressjournal.in
Shashank Kumar
Razorpay co-founder
“In the upcoming release, we will turn off gallery permissions except where sellers truly require them.”
freepressjournal.in
A supporter
Online supporter
“Solid move by Shashank. This builds trust. Still, what stops sellers from skipping updates?”
freepressjournal.in
Vijay Shekhar Sharma
Paytm's CEO
“Paytm's Soundbox. It blocks many such offline cons”
freepressjournal.in
