By Afreen Firdaus

Bhubaneswar: With festive shopping drawing crowds to markets across Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, shopkeepers are being cautioned against digital payment frauds in which fake Unified Payments Interface (UPI) confirmations can leave them without money for goods already sold.

A suspected case was reported from Minabazar in Sonepur, where a young customer allegedly purchased items from a stall and showed the shopkeeper a PhonePe screen indicating a successful transaction. However, the vendor later found that no money had been credited to his bank account.

The incident highlights the need for traders to remain alert during the festive rush, when crowded stalls and long queues can make it difficult to verify every transaction immediately.

Kuna Behera, a toy seller near the Shahid Nagar Puja pandal in Bhubaneswar, said the rush makes payment verification particularly important.“When several customers are waiting, it is easy to trust the screen and move on to the next sale. We have to check every payment now,” he said.

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Digital payments have become routine for shoppers visiting festive fairs, where purchases range from toys and accessories to food and household items.

However, customers and traders need to ensure that transactions are completed successfully rather than relying solely on screenshots displayed on mobile phones. Hitansi Sahu, who had come to a fair, said shoppers should also be aware of the risks associated with digital payments.

“UPI makes shopping convenient, but customers should understand that showing a screenshot is not the same as completing a payment,” Sahu said.

Fraudsters can allegedly exploit the rush by displaying edited screenshots or using imitation applications that show convincing payment-success messages.

In some cases, QR-code stands may also be tampered with, diverting payments to accounts controlled by fraudsters.Traders are advised to verify credits through their own bank accounts, official payment applications or merchant soundboxes before handing over goods. They should also inspect QR-code stands regularly and report suspicious transactions to the police or cybercrime authorities.

For vendors operating temporary stalls during the festive season, a quick verification can prevent losses. A payment-success screen on a customer's phone is not proof that money has reached the seller.