- QR Phishing, also known as Quishing, is a rising scam where attackers try to fool you to scan False QR codes
- Cybercriminals can go to your personal data, login credentials, bank accounts or try to infect your smartphone with malware
- These QR codes can be found everywhere, from parking lots to museums.
You may be used to receiving emails or fraud text messages, but did you know that it can also be cheated through a QR code? This increasingly common scam form is known as what moves, and has been recently extended recently.
According CNBC73% of Americans have scanned a QR code without verifying that the origin link was safe, and NordvPN has discovered that 26 million have been aimed at malicious websites as a result.
Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, action fraud (the National Center for Frank and Cybercrime Reports) recently revealed that £ 3.5 million had been lost to extract scams in the year prior to April of April 2025.
These QR scam codes are being used for anything, from sending false payment links to installing malware on your phone. Here is everything you need to know about the latest consultation attacks and how to protect themselves from them.
What exactly is what is dating?
Remove is a phishing form that is done completely through a QR code. While it was not so widespread only a few years ago, it shot during the pandemic, when QR codes became more than a small fun peculiarity.
In recent years, QR codes have impregnated the fabric of our daily lives. We see them everywhere, from television commercials to menus or restaurant flyers. Unfortunately, QR codes are inherently opaque. It is difficult to verify how sure is a link of a look, which makes these codes easy to manipulate.
The way it works is surprisingly simple. Whether the QR scam code appears in an email or elsewhere, it is always accompanied by something that will make it scan. Payment indications, medical forms or product information are common objectives. When the code scan and click, it will be taken to the next part of the scam, which is a website or a script that installs malware on your phone.
Unfortunately, if the code has been altered, the target website is a scam. In the best case, he will steal as much as he is trying to pay for the parking lot; In the worst case, you could compromise your phone or your bank login credentials.
Are QR codes safe in public places?
While the QR codes found in restaurants or museums seem a safe bet, that is not always the case, not anymore.
Unlike phishing emails, QR codes have a strong real world impact. It is too simple for threat actors to manipulate legitimate codes found in public spaces. That said, the threat is much greater in open public spaces, instead of interiors.
For example, in a parking lot, scammers physically replace the sticker in the parking meter, directing people to a legitimate website where they can pay their parking bill. The same can be done with posters or flyers that are almost anywhere.
It is important to remember that this is not a niche, and it can happen to anyone. Keepnet Labs He discovered that QR codes are an increasingly common medium to send phishing links, with enormous 26% of all malicious links that are delivered that way.
How to stay safe
Remove, like all other forms of scams, is based on creating an emergency feeling. Whether it is an exciting offer or a serious -looking payment reminder, cheating the scammers want to scan the code and continue without asking questions. That is why the best way to stay safe is to be attentive and take your time.
Suppose you received a QR code integrated into an email that indicates that you ensure your account, enable multiple factors or obtain a discount code. Do not trust that immediately, it could be a scam. Even a legitimate -looking email address may not mean that it is clear, since scammers can kidnap accounts to send those QR codes.
To stay safe, do not take any unexpected email to the nominal value. If a service tells you that your account has been compromised, you do not scan any code in that email. Instead, go to the website or the application directly and change your login credentials there, without interacting with the email content.
When they face QR codes in places where they could have been altered, it is better to take their time instead of scanning the code quickly. In a parking lot, the code does not scan: go directly to the address. Only QR codes that are physically impossible to replace for scammers are safe.
If you scan a QR code, be sure to never provide any personal or credential information. It is always better to err next to caution. Before following the link to any website, look at it carefully and compare with what you know how the real business.
QR codes certainly facilitate life, but unfortunately, the more widespread they are, the more likely they must be attacked by the scammers. It is never a bad idea to invest in one of the Android’s best antivirus applications To protect your computer pirates phone.
