JAGATSINGHPUR: Cyber fraudsters have allegedly duped students of several colleges in Jagatsinghpur district by collecting fees through fake QR codes circulated online by impersonating as college authorities.
Several colleges have issued advisories warning students and guardians against making payments based on phone calls from unknown persons. College authorities, in collaboration with police, have also launched awareness campaigns on cyber fraud.
Laxminarayan Ojha of Ayar village under Raghunathpur police limits alleged that on June 21, he received a phone call from an unidentified person claiming to be a staff of Brundaban Chandra Mahavidyalaya, Redhua, where his daughter is a Plus Two Science student. The caller allegedly warned that her admission would be cancelled if the readmission fee was not paid immediately and subsequently sent a QR code for payment.
Concerned about his daughter’s admission, Ojha transferred `4,800 through the QR code. However, after contacting the college authorities, he discovered that no staff member had made such a call and that he had fallen victim to fraud.
Similarly, Rabindra Jena claimed that he paid Rs 11,200 for his son’s readmission at SVM College, Jagatsinghpur. Other parents also recounted similar incidents.
Students Aswariya Pradhan and Debasmita Sahoo of Gadibrahma Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Kaduapada, alleged that fraudsters collected Rs 5,800 each from them in the name of readmission fees. SVM College principal Sujata Otta further alleged that cybercriminals had also attempted to collect Rs 35,000 from the institution on the pretext of supplying a smartboard.
Meanwhile, Ojha and several other guardians have lodged complaints with the Cyber and Economic Offences police station in Jagatsinghpur, seeking strict action against those involved.
However, police are yet to make any breakthrough, and fresh complaints of similar fraud continue to emerge.
Principal Otta has issued a notification cautioning students against fake calls made in the name of the college for collecting admission and readmission fees through fraudulent QR codes.
The notice urged students and guardians not to make any payments without verifying the authenticity of such requests with the college authorities. Rajiv Behera, in-charge of the Cyber and Economic Offences police station, said, “We have received several complaints regarding the illegal collection of admission and readmission fees from college students through fake QR codes. No case has been registered yet as the complaints are currently being verified.”
