Scammers Target Small Businesses in India
“ The consequences of cyberattacks extend beyond technical systems and are primarily experienced by individuals. Victims may experience significant psychological distress, financial loss, social stigma, and a diminished sense of self-efficacy, meaning their ability to safeguard themselves online. Recognizing and addressing these harms is essential for effective cybersecurity.”
Shiv recalled the day a phone call turned a routine ice delivery order into a painful moment for his father:
“My father is a small business owner in the food sector. He has a shop selling ice. It’s a simple, physical business, selling ice planks, and delivering them to markets, events and construction sites.
One day, he received a call from a potential customer. The person on the line sounded official and confident. He said they were organising a military school event nearby and needed two tons of ice every day for nine consecutive days. It was a large order for my dad, signalling a serious customer. The caller gave precise instructions with the delivery location. It all seemed legitimate.
My father loaded the truck with ice and dispatched it to the agreed location. When the driver arrived, there was nothing there. Just bare land: no buildings, no tents, no people. The location existed only on Google Maps. It was a pin dropped by someone far away. The fact is that the criminals never had to visit that place. They didn’t need to scout it physically. They could sit somewhere else entirely because publicly available information was enough.
They started to send the driver around naming buildings and streets nearby. While the truck was still turning, the caller said to my dad that he would be sending the money to pay for the order. He sent a request, but for a withdrawal through UPI (Unified Payments Interface). In the confusion and a feeling of urgency, my father approved the payment. 25,000 rupees were gone instantly. He later realised the text had different information from the QR code that was shared with him to make the payment possible.
That’s how scams work. No advanced technology. Most of it is psychology.
The damage doesn’t end with the money. The frustration over being scammed stays with the person for a long time. We later met a doctor who had lost half a million rupees to a similar scam. The criminals had tailored the approach to his practice. They contacted him pretending to be patients, requesting treatment, building trust over time. Then came the payment: ‘We’re sending you the money, please confirm using this code.’ That ‘code’ was a UPI PIN request. Once you approve it, the money flew out, not in.
Many victims get trapped in a loop. After the first loss, scammers keep calling, offering refunds, corrections, or ‘help’. The victim can end up being scammed multiple times. Each step feels like fixing the problem, but it only makes the damage worse.
My father keeps selling ice. The amount was small and did not impact his business. But now, he meets orders with suspicion. Large orders trigger doubt. That’s the invisible damage cybercrime leaves behind: stolen trust and peace of mind.”
Shiv, India