Scammers Ask for Payment by Barcode

Consumers are reporting a new payment method being used by scammers. This usually involves the scammer impersonating a trusted organization, making up a reason why the consumer owes them money, then sending them a barcode by text or email.

The consumer is told to take this barcode to one of several well-known and legitimate retail stores, scan it at a payment kiosk or checkout aisle, and make the necessary payment there. This type of transaction can be used for legitimate purposes to load cash into digital wallets or cryptocurrency accounts like Cash App, PayPal, or eCash – but when used by scammers, it transfers the consumer’s money directly into an account controlled by the scammer. Scammers frame this as an easy, convenient way to quickly pay a bill – but it’s a lie. Consumers who pay have been scammed and the transactions cannot be reversed.

The scammer might pretend to be calling from a government or law enforcement agency, a well-known business, or – as one consumer recently reported to DATCP – a utility company. They try to scare consumers with urgency and high-pressure tactics into acting quickly, before they get a chance to pause and think critically about the scammer’s request.

Consumers and small business owners should all be aware that this payment method is fraudulent. Legitimate government entities and businesses will not ask consumers to pay them by scanning a barcode at a retailer. If consumers receive a suspicious phone call, they should hang up, find the real organization’s verified contact information online or from a previous bill, and manually dial the correct number to call them back and confirm whether the call was legitimate.