As online payments and home deliveries become more common, scammers are finding new tricks to cheat people. A new scam is spreading on food delivery apps like Swiggy and Zomato– and it’s not just costing customers money, but also causing trouble for restaurants and the apps themselves.
It usually starts with a cancelled order and a refund that seems normal. But then comes the catch: scammers use fake stories, false complaints, and unofficial QR codes to trick people into paying again– either for food they never got or already got a refund for. And that’s just the start of the problem.
A fake delivery, A real scam
A content creator recently took to social media to share a troubling experience, and her post has gone viral for all the right reasons. It serves as a warning for others. She had ordered a pizza through Swiggy, but soon after, she got a call claiming the delivery agent had met with an accident. The caller said the restaurant would now deliver the order directly.
When she called the restaurant to check, she was told something entirely different: “They said ‘We do not do direct deliveries’, so we thought that’s a red flag.” Even though the caller said the restaurant would deliver the food, her order was eventually cancelled, and a refund was processed. She thought that was the end of it.
Unexpected visit and a suspicious request
Not long after, there was a knock at her door. A Swiggy delivery partner was outside, holding the same order she was told had been cancelled. Once she accepted the food, the delivery agent asked her to scan a QR code and pay– this time, not through the app. “Apko refund mil gaya hoga, to ye QR code hai aap ispe directly pay kardo.” Realising something wasn’t right, she again contacted the restaurant, which confirmed she should not make any payment. “You simply take the pizza and do not pay him,” the manager told her.
How the scam operates
But this wasn’t just a one-time incident– it seems to be part of a larger scam that’s taking advantage of loopholes in food delivery platforms. In most cases, the scam begins when a fraudster falsely claims that the order can’t be delivered, which prompts the app to process a refund. However, the scammer still turns up with the food and asks the customer to pay directly using a personal QR code. The trick is that this payment doesn’t go to the restaurant or the delivery platform– it lands straight in the scammer’s account. The platform continues to record it as a failed delivery, which means the restaurant not only loses the food but also gets no payment for it.
As the content creator pointed out, “The scammer keeps the entire amount, with no accountability or platform traceability. This is more than just one free meal. It's a systematic collapse in trust, revenue, and logistics.”
Why is this a serious problem
This scam may look small, but it affects everyone. Restaurants lose food without getting paid. Delivery apps suffer because their name gets linked to fraud. Customers often end up paying twice, thinking the delivery person is genuine. It also messes up delivery records, making it harder to catch fake agents. Most importantly, it puts people’s safety at risk, since food can come from unknown or unverified sources.
What users can do
If you often order food online, it’s important to stay alert. Never make payments through QR codes shared by delivery agents– always pay only through the official app. If your order gets cancelled, don’t accept any delivery unless it’s confirmed on the app or directly by the restaurant. In such cases, it’s a good idea to call the restaurant yourself to check. And if anything feels off, report the issue to customer support right away.
Platforms responding to the issue
According to a report presented by News 18, after the incident went viral, Swiggy responded, saying they were looking into the matter. While there's no official update yet, users are calling for stronger checks to stop such scams. With more people using digital payments and food delivery apps, this case shows how important it is to keep safety systems up to date. Everyone– from customers to restaurants and platforms– has a part to play, but it all starts with staying alert and ends with taking responsibility.
It usually starts with a cancelled order and a refund that seems normal. But then comes the catch: scammers use fake stories, false complaints, and unofficial QR codes to trick people into paying again– either for food they never got or already got a refund for. And that’s just the start of the problem.
A fake delivery, A real scam
A content creator recently took to social media to share a troubling experience, and her post has gone viral for all the right reasons. It serves as a warning for others. She had ordered a pizza through Swiggy, but soon after, she got a call claiming the delivery agent had met with an accident. The caller said the restaurant would now deliver the order directly.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJJp_I1p_qP/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=1809b538-5904-47d3-bece-f431e3dba085 https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJJp_I1p_qP/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=1809b538-5904-47d3-bece-f431e3dba085
When she called the restaurant to check, she was told something entirely different: “They said ‘We do not do direct deliveries’, so we thought that’s a red flag.” Even though the caller said the restaurant would deliver the food, her order was eventually cancelled, and a refund was processed. She thought that was the end of it.
Unexpected visit and a suspicious request
Not long after, there was a knock at her door. A Swiggy delivery partner was outside, holding the same order she was told had been cancelled. Once she accepted the food, the delivery agent asked her to scan a QR code and pay– this time, not through the app. “Apko refund mil gaya hoga, to ye QR code hai aap ispe directly pay kardo.” Realising something wasn’t right, she again contacted the restaurant, which confirmed she should not make any payment. “You simply take the pizza and do not pay him,” the manager told her.
How the scam operates
But this wasn’t just a one-time incident– it seems to be part of a larger scam that’s taking advantage of loopholes in food delivery platforms. In most cases, the scam begins when a fraudster falsely claims that the order can’t be delivered, which prompts the app to process a refund. However, the scammer still turns up with the food and asks the customer to pay directly using a personal QR code. The trick is that this payment doesn’t go to the restaurant or the delivery platform– it lands straight in the scammer’s account. The platform continues to record it as a failed delivery, which means the restaurant not only loses the food but also gets no payment for it.
As the content creator pointed out, “The scammer keeps the entire amount, with no accountability or platform traceability. This is more than just one free meal. It's a systematic collapse in trust, revenue, and logistics.”
Why is this a serious problem
This scam may look small, but it affects everyone. Restaurants lose food without getting paid. Delivery apps suffer because their name gets linked to fraud. Customers often end up paying twice, thinking the delivery person is genuine. It also messes up delivery records, making it harder to catch fake agents. Most importantly, it puts people’s safety at risk, since food can come from unknown or unverified sources.
What users can do
If you often order food online, it’s important to stay alert. Never make payments through QR codes shared by delivery agents– always pay only through the official app. If your order gets cancelled, don’t accept any delivery unless it’s confirmed on the app or directly by the restaurant. In such cases, it’s a good idea to call the restaurant yourself to check. And if anything feels off, report the issue to customer support right away.
Platforms responding to the issue
According to a report presented by News 18, after the incident went viral, Swiggy responded, saying they were looking into the matter. While there's no official update yet, users are calling for stronger checks to stop such scams. With more people using digital payments and food delivery apps, this case shows how important it is to keep safety systems up to date. Everyone– from customers to restaurants and platforms– has a part to play, but it all starts with staying alert and ends with taking responsibility.
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