Chevella police arrested four, including juveniles, for UPI fraud at the bar

Hyderabad: Chevella police have arrested four people, including two juveniles, for using a fake UPI app to make fraudulent payments at a local bar. The accused had bought alcohol worth almost 65,000 lei and tried to leave without paying the bill.

According to Chevella station house officer Bhoopal Sridhar, the two minors came across a cloned version of a genuine UPI application. This fake app mimics a real payment transaction by showing a confirmation message, but no money is transferred to the seller’s account.

“The minors handed over the app to two men, who purchased alcohol using the fake UPI app,” the SHO said. The accused visited the store during peak hours when it was busy, making it difficult for staff to spot the scam.

They used the app to buy alcohol several times at the bar, for a total bill of Rs 65,000. The store owner, upon examining his bank account, found no deposits for the alleged payments. They then checked the shop’s CCTV footage, which confirmed the accused’s involvement. The men were then caught and handed over to the police.