Atlanta woman claims 'water boys' scammed her out of $800

Atlanta woman loses hundreds to thieves with new tech

The victim says she lost $800 after scanning a QR code on a popular money-transfer app.

ATLANTA - An Atlanta woman is warning others after she says she was scammed out of $800 by a so-called "water boy," a teenager selling water on the street corner.

She says they used a QR code to access her bank account.

What we know:

The woman, who asked not to be identified out of concern for her safety, said the encounter happened near Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard and Interstate 20 on Monday. She had intended to give the group of teens $5 but did not have any cash.

"I normally never give when it comes to, you know, people selling on the street," she told FOX 5’s Deidra Dukes. "But in that moment, I felt, ‘Oh, I'll give these kids $5, but I don't have any cash.’"

Instead of taking her phone or asking for a password, the teen presented a QR code on a device. When she scanned it using her phone, she said $800 was withdrawn from her account instantly—without her inputting a dollar amount, fingerprint, or pin.

"Cash App usually has three methods of verification before any money is sent," she said. "None of those three verification methods were utilized—they were all bypassed and $800 just taken out."

Dig deeper:

Experts say the scam highlights a growing trend.

"If you don't see where this QR code is leading you to, it could be a scam," said Dr. Rajiv Garg, a professor of Information Systems and Operations Management at Emory University.

Garg said phishing scams using QR codes are on the rise as digital payments become more common. He urges users to only interact with trusted sources when making electronic transactions.

"If you are aware on these happen and how these happen a little bit more," he said, "then you are essentially becoming educated on best practices for transactions on the Internet."

The victim said she simply wanted to help and believed the teens were working honestly. Now, she says, she won’t be so quick to trust.

"The technology is on another level these days," she said. "And cash can be just taken in ways that you would not believe."