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Government Warns of QR Code Scams on Electricity Bills

Law enforcement has been alerted after fraudsters used fake links and unsolicited QR codes to trick consumers into giving personal data and one-time verification codes.

Overview

  • The Power Division issued the public warning on Friday after reports that criminals were circulating fake subsidy links and QR codes to steal personal and financial information.
  • A technical capacity problem on the official registration website lasted two days but was fixed by increasing server capacity and more than one million users have completed registration.
  • Fraud schemes reportedly ask consumers to follow a link or scan a QR code, complete a multi-step form with personal details, and then enter a six-digit code that allows attackers to take data or access accounts.
  • Officials instructed consumers to scan only QR codes printed on official electricity bills, to avoid entering information on external sites or messages, and to report suspicious links to authorities.
  • The QR system is meant to verify household electricity use so subsidies reach eligible low-income families, and the large, rapid digital rollout has increased the attack surface for social-engineering scams.