The QRIS 'Refund' Payment Scam
Fraudsters exploit a common misunderstanding about QRIS, Indonesia's national QR payment standard, by convincing victims that scanning a QR code will pay money into their account. This walkthrough is a fictional, illustrative example built for training.
The scenario
A buyer contacts a small online seller, or a victim responds to a fake marketplace 'refund', and is told that a payment or refund of a specific amount, say Rp 750,000, is ready to be sent. The 'agent' explains that to receive it, the victim simply needs to scan a QRIS code they will send over WhatsApp.
The QRIS code arrives as an image, sometimes accompanied by a screenshot of a supposedly pending transaction to add credibility. The victim is walked through opening their mobile banking or e-wallet app, tapping the scan-QR function, and pointing it at the image.
Because the victim believes they are receiving money, they proceed past the amount confirmation screen without reading it carefully. In reality, scanning any QRIS code initiates an outgoing payment from the scanner to the code's owner. The 'refund' amount shown is the amount the victim is about to pay out.
The scammer may keep the pressure on by claiming the first scan 'failed' and asking the victim to try again with a second, larger code, doubling the loss before the victim realizes that the balance has gone down rather than up.
Red flags to spot
You are asked to scan a QR code to 'receive' money
QRIS works in one direction only: the person who scans is the one who pays. No legitimate refund or incoming transfer ever requires you to scan a code.
The request arrives over WhatsApp or chat, not the app itself
Genuine refunds appear inside your banking or e-wallet app as an incoming credit. A QR image sent through chat is a strong sign someone wants you to initiate a payment.
Pressure to act fast before the 'refund expires'
Urgency is designed to make you skip the confirmation screen, which clearly states you are sending, not receiving, money.
The confirmation screen shows a debit from your balance
The app always tells the truth: if it says you are paying an amount, you are paying it. The seller's story does not override what the screen says.
Repeated 'failed' scans and requests to try again
A real transfer does not need you to scan multiple codes. Each additional scan is a fresh outgoing payment engineered to increase the loss.
The lesson
Remember one rule: scanning a QRIS code always means you are paying, never receiving. If someone owes you money or promises a refund, it must arrive as an incoming transfer to your account or e-wallet, which requires only your name, account, or phone number, never a QR scan from you. Always read the full confirmation screen before approving, and stop immediately if it shows a debit when you expected a credit. When in doubt, verify any refund directly through the official app or the merchant's verified customer service, not through a QR image sent in chat.
These are illustrative examples built for training purposes only, not real messages sent by Claro or any actual organization.
Frequently asked questions
No. QRIS is a payment standard where the person scanning always sends money to the code's owner. Receiving money never requires you to scan anything.
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