Crimeans Unknowingly Fund Ukrainian Army After Mistaking Fake Fuel QR Codes for the Real Thing

In occupied Crimea, unknown scammers tricked local residents out of money by passing off fake QR codes as passes for scarce gasoline. According to the Unian agency, the fraudsters exploited a glitch in the fuel voucher system and began selling supposedly "working" codes that promised access to gasoline outside the official rationing rules.

Unian reports that many residents of the peninsula fell for the scam and paid up — and, according to the agency, the money collected went toward buying pickup trucks for Ukraine's 110th Unmanned Systems Brigade. Crimea's fuel crisis stems from a large-scale Ukrainian drone campaign targeting Russian oil infrastructure.

Facing an acute fuel shortage, the Russian occupation administration had earlier introduced personal QR codes for refueling vehicles, the Polish outlet Wiadomości Gazeta reports. Under this system, one code allowed the purchase of no more than 20 liters of gasoline for a specific vehicle, and a new voucher could only be obtained after seven days. Even having a valid code, however, offered no guarantee that fuel would actually be available at the gas station.

In June, the occupation authorities temporarily suspended the free sale of gasoline, redirecting supplies to utility services, medical facilities, and security agencies. The strict restrictions gave rise to a black market for codes and fuel vouchers in Crimea, which is precisely what the unknown scammers exploited, notes the outlet Ukrmedia News.

Source: novinky.cz