QR Menus Misuse Personal Data? Pune Woman Alleges Restaurant Staff Stole Number & Sent Late-Night Texts

A woman from Pune has alleged that a staff member at SOCIAL on FC Road misused her phone number to send late-night messages after she visited the restaurant for dinner. The incident has once again raised concerns about customer privacy and the safety of QR-based menus used at restaurants. The restaurant has now responded to the situation. Here’s what happened.

Pune Woman Alleges SOCIAL FC Road Staff Misused Her Number

 

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A post shared by Rishika Dutta (@imagebyrizz)

These days, QR-based menus have replaced traditional menu cards in many restaurants and eateries. They are easy to use and allow us to access menus quickly on our phones. But are they really safe? A woman, Rishika Dutta, from Pune, found herself in a scary situation when a staff member at SOCIAL on FC Road, Pune, allegedly misused her personal information.

According to Rishika’s Instagram post, she went there for dinner, scanned the QR code for the menu, ordered food, and returned home. But after some time, she received a text from an unknown number that simply said, “Hi.” The next morning, Rishika received more messages in which the man allegedly told her that he had served her at SOCIAL the previous day. He also asked her age and sent other inappropriate messages.

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SOCIAL Responds And Terminates Employee

Rishika wasted no time and directly contacted the general manager of the popular eatery on FC Road in Pune. According to her, the manager informed her that the employee had been terminated. However, the woman also asked for a formal email apology from the restaurant. According to her, the incident happened on April 28, 2026. 

She also warned people on Instagram to use QR codes in restaurants cautiously because, according to her, they may not always be safe. SOCIAL later apologised to Rishika in the comments section and stated that the concerned employee had been terminated on April 29, 2026. They also wrote, “Guest safety and privacy are extremely important to us, and we are strengthening our internal processes to make sure something like this never happens again.” 

Many netizens were angered by the situation. They left comments like, “I have stopped eating at restaurants that don’t have a paper menu. This obsession with digitisation needs to be resisted. More power to you!” and “This is scary.”

Also Read: “I Was Kinda Happy,” Pune Woman Served Halwa Puri Chana On Air India’s Delhi-Bali Flight

What do you think about this situation? Do you think QR-based menus are the problem? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.

Cover Image Courtesy: Rishika Dutta/ Instagram and Canva Pro/ Shisuka (Representative Image)