Bhubaneswar: During the festive season, shopkeepers and stall owners in Odisha are advised to stay alert, as the bustling markets and increased customer activity can create opportunities for digital transaction fraud to occur unnoticed.

A recent suspected case of UPI payment fraud emerged from Minabazar in Sonepur, where a young man purchased items from a stall and asserted that he had made a payment via PhonePe. He allegedly displayed a “payment successful” message on his smartphone to the shopkeeper.

However, upon the shopkeeper checking his bank account later, he discovered that no funds had been deposited. This discrepancy raised doubts about the validity of the payment evidence presented on the customer’s device.

In light of the festive shopping surge in Odisha, shop owners are encouraged to confirm payments through their bank accounts or official payment alerts instead of solely depending on screenshots provided by customers.