Hyderabad Police Warn Livestock Traders Against Counterfeit Payment App Scams Before Bakrid

Hyderabad's livestock markets are witnessing a surge in digital payment fraud as Bakrid approaches, with cybercriminals deploying counterfeit payment applications to swindle traders. City Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar has cautioned market participants to exercise heightened vigilance when conducting online transactions.

The spike in fraudulent activity coincides with the influx of buyers and sellers in sheep and goat markets across the city. Scammers have been capitalizing on the bustling atmosphere to target livestock vendors with sophisticated deception tactics.

The modus operandi involves creating replica payment applications that closely mimic legitimate platforms like PhonePe. Perpetrators display fabricated payment confirmation screens and counterfeit receipts to the traders, creating the illusion that funds have been transferred successfully. Market traders, overwhelmed by the volume of transactions and chaos typical of peak trading periods, often fail to cross-verify whether money has actually entered their bank accounts.

Two significant fraud cases have recently come to light within the Hyderabad Commissionerate's jurisdiction. In an incident under Kanchanbagh police station, a group of six individuals arrived on motorcycles and executed a transaction with a trader, allegedly absconding with Rs 68,000 through a fake payment application. A separate case in Rajendranagar saw four persons flee with sheep valued at Rs 48,000 after presenting a counterfeit digital payment verification screen to the seller.

The affected traders discovered the deception only upon checking their bank statements later, revealing that no credit had been made to their accounts. Both cases were subsequently reported to authorities.

Sajjanar has issued clear guidance for traders to protect themselves from such schemes. He emphasized that screenshots or "payment successful" notifications displayed on customers' phones should not be trusted. Instead, traders should validate transactions exclusively through official bank SMS notifications or by independently accessing their bank balance through verified banking applications.

For high-value transactions, the police commissioner recommended conducting business in cash wherever feasible. He also urged traders to promptly contact Dial 100 and alert police upon witnessing any questionable activity or fraud attempts.