The quest for liquor during the lockdown cost a Seawoods resident ₹42,568 after he was recently cheated by a ‘supplier’ online. The NRI coastal police have registered a case against an unidentified person.

On May 14, the complainant had Googled ‘online services for liquor’ and found a contact number providing it. The complainant called the number and selected liquor worth ₹5,300. When told he would need to pay an advance, the complainant said he would make part payment and the remaining after delivery.

The complainant paid ₹3,000, after which the accused told him that he would be sending him a QR code, which he would need to scan using Paytm.

“The accused asked him to follow the link he would see after scanning the QR code. The complainant saw a figure of ₹19,784. The accused said the amount was part of his balance in the account,” a police officer said.

The complainant was using his wife’s Paytm account as he did not have one. After the transaction, they realised ₹19,784 was deducted from her account. The complainant then called the accused, who said he had accidentally given him the wrong QR code. He sent the complainant another one, but the same thing happened again.

Before the accused sent him the QR code for the third time, the complainant transferred the Paytm balance to another account and scanned the QR code, following which he got the message that the transaction had failed. The accused then disconnected the call immediately.

On May 16, the NRI coastal police registered a case of cheating, and applied sections of the IT Act. “While buying liquor online, care should be taken that no payment is made beforehand. It should only be done at the time of delivery,” an officer said.