E-commerce / delivery fraudFake refund / cashbackQR code scam+1 more29 days ago Scammed ₹36,409 through Tonique Baner’s Google → WhatsApp ordering link. Tonique says 15+ people were scammed before me. What can I do?
I wanted to order beer from "Tonique Baner, Pune". I found it on Google, clicked "Place an order”, and Google directed me to WhatsApp, showing "Preferred by this business."
The WhatsApp number was
[+91 7976889433]
account name "Sachin Malhotra".
I placed an order and, following their instructions, made:
₹1,500
₹1,500
₹1,500
₹3,000
Total: ₹7,500
Then they told me there was an issue with the payment and that the earlier payment would be reversed/refunded. They sent me a "QR code" and told me to scan it for the refund, claiming the transaction wouldn’t actually debit my account.
Instead, "₹28,909 was debited."
Total loss: ₹36,409.
I immediately reported it:
Cyber Crime complaint,
Bank complaint
I have screenshots of the Google listing, the “Place an order” flow, WhatsApp conversation, QR codes, UPI transactions, etc.
The really interesting part: I went to the Tonique Baner store afterwards. They told me this is a "known/repeated scam", that "15+" similar incidents had happened before mine, and that they were already aware of it and had apparently reported it somewhere.
