Vendor Loses Over P30,000 in QR Code Scam
A small vendor in Baseco Compound, Port Area, Manila loses over P30,000 after falling victim to a QR code scam involving an e-wallet transaction.
On Sunday, January 4, 2026, a vendor was shocked after more than P30,000 disappeared from her account in just a few minutes.
Police said the suspect pretended to be an ordinary customer who wanted to cash in P200 to his e-wallet. To avoid suspicion, he handed over P500 in cash and received his change. After that, he showed the vendor a QR code and asked her to scan it.
When the transaction appeared to fail, the suspect complained that the money did not go through and requested the vendor to scan the QR code again. The process was repeated three times.
Unknown to the vendor, every scan caused a large amount to be deducted from her e-wallet. Each scan removed more than P10,000, bringing the total loss to P32,430. The vendor only realized something was wrong after checking her balance, as she did not receive any text alerts or warning messages during the transactions.
Police were able to trace the suspects’ getaway vehicle, a tuktuk, with the help of CCTV footage. The driver was later arrested and admitted receiving P5,000 from a friend, although he denied knowing about the scam.
Further investigation revealed that even the driver’s employer had experienced a similar scam in the past but chose not to report it. The employer later brought the driver to the police station to cooperate with authorities.
The arrested suspect now faces charges for swindling, violation of the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act, and the Cybercrime Prevention Act. Police are still searching for his accomplice.
Authorities reminded the public to stay alert when using QR codes, double-check transactions, and ensure a stable internet connection to monitor account balances in real time.
In another post, street kids “cashless begging” using QR code in Manila goes viral
The social media users expressed their reactions to the incident:
