Pedestrian traders defrauded: Payments made through G pay, Paytm not being credited to bank account
Coimbatore: The livelihood of roadside vendors selling fruits and vegetables has been severely affected due to the lockdown clamped across the State owing to the second wave of Covid-19.
Most of the vendors continued to do business as usual on a daily basis to protect their livelihood amidst the fear of not being vaccinated yet and risking contracting Covid-19 infection.
These roadside vendors have been complaining for the past few days that financial fraud was being committed against them through online payment apps. Many have complained that payments made through the online payment apps, including Google Pay and Paytm, have not been credited to their bank accounts leading to a loss of thousands of rupees.
Vendors selling vegetables and fruits on the roadside on Vilankurichi Road said, "Some of us have been using online app scanners, including G Pay and Paytm to help customers pay easily when we sell goods. We receive a message that payment has been made to our mobile phone numbers but we are not able to withdraw it in the ATM. We receive a message saying there is no money in our bank account. More than four traders on Vilankurichi Road alone, where my shop is located have been affected by such scams. Each of them have thousands of rupees that have to be credited to their bank account. Four traders have over Rs. 15,000 pending in the last four days. We buy scanners like this in the hope that it will help keep the business running smoothly in the current situation. We do not know who to appeal to about this problem," they lamented.
The vendors further added, "Government officials should immediately intervene in this matter and find out the truth about such financial scams. Legal action should be taken against them immediately in case of fraud. Also, further action should be initiated to solve the issue and identify if there are more traders like us who have been affected in the city and in Tamil Nadu."