Screenshot scams at food stalls

FROM fraudulent screenshots to quickly cancelled transactions, crafty customers have found some convenient loopholes in cashless payment systems set up in local hawker centres.

Some 15 hawkers said these bad experiences and losses have left them reluctant to continue with cashless payment systems.

Hawkers told The Straits Times one of the key methods scammers used was keeping screenshots of genuine transactions on hand.

They would then return to the stall another day, order the same item and flash the screenshot of the past transaction as payment.

Khaw Li Ling, who is in her 60s and operates a rojak stall at Toa Payoh West Market and Food Centre, said: “Customers have ways of cheating us – it requires effort on their part to manufacture a screenshot.”She said she was once cheated out of more than S$30 (RM91) by a woman who purchased a large amount of rojak during lunch hour. The woman flashed what Khaw said was a “scam screenshot”.

“I couldn’t believe people would go to so much trouble to save S$5 (RM15) for rojak. It’s more common than you think, ” Khaw said.

Hawkers said other methods used were cancelled transactions: Customers flash the pre-payment page in front of hawkers, but do not approve these transactions before walking away. This results in cashless transactions not going through.

“These scams happen during lunch and dinner when we have no time to stand around, look at our phone and wait for the money to go through, ” said Ooi Gim Beng, who is in his 60s and sells duck rice at a coffee shop in Ang Mo Kio.

He said he has been cheated “20 times”, but has not pursued the matter as the sums were under S$10 (RM30) a transaction.

“There might be lag between transactions on the customer’s end and showing up on our devices, but just because we want to be cautious, we can’t hold up a line of customers. It’s easier to use cash, ” Ooi said.

Lum Sing Yew, 75, a hawker at Redhill Market and Food Centre who sells noodles, was also a victim of such scams.

He has accumulated losses of S$100 to S$150 (RM304 to RM457) since he started using the QR code payment system a year ago. — The Straits Times/ANN