Watch Out For Scams Hiding In QR Codes

It seems like another day, another scam. Taking something that's Seems innocuous, but sometimes also a little frustrating, the QR code. We're constantly being told to scan this QR code or that QR code in order to find something new and exciting online. 

Well, now the scammers are getting in on the action. 

It's called quishing and it is fertile ground for scammers because everybody is scanning QR codes. 

According to msn.com,
‘Almost three-quarters of Americans (73%) scan QR codes without verification, and more than 26 million have already been directed to malicious sites, according to NordVPN. The FTC warned earlier this year about scanning QR codes on unexpected packages.’ 

Currently, the city of New York is having problems with their parking meters because. they're discovering that some QR codes on parking meters are not legitimate payment links. 

It seems odd to think of it as the “old days” when QR codes were first appearing. You could be walking through a museum and scanning a QR code and your phone would tell you the history of whatever exhibits you're looking at. Now QR codes are ubiquitous, everything from being used as boarding passes for airplanes, tickets for concerts, pricing for grocery items, some restaurants are using QR codes that you can scan for the menu rather than handing you a hard copy. 

The innocent UPC code is now fertile ground for scammers because the best scams are based on seemingly innocent items. The idea, of course, is that you scan the malicious QR code that sends you to a website that tries to tempt you into giving it your personal information and possibly giving the hackers access to your mobile device. 

One reason why QR code scams are on the increase is because traditional phishing scams are being spotted quicker. More safeguards are being put into place, but apparently not quick enough when it comes to QR codes. 

Be careful when scanning a QR code. If it's on a flyer that somebody hands to you, if it's part of a sticker, it could be a malicious QR code.  

As always, be careful, be watchful, be skeptical, and take care of yourself. 

'Quishing' scams dupe millions of Americans as cybercriminals turn the QR code bad
Scam alert: QR code on an unexpected package | Consumer Advice

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