One case that went around the world happened in San Antonio, Texas, United States. Fake QR Codes passed off as shortcuts to pay for parking, rent under parking meters, but actually containing malicious links. The motorists who have relied on it to pay the parking bill have in fact found themselves sending their money and financial information to the scammers. Similar cases have also been seen in other cities in that state, from Austin to Houston.
But it doesn’t need to go that far. Apart from green certification for vaccination, Italy – as well as half the world – has made an in-depth knowledge of those two-dimensional matrix barcodes in the last months. To limit interpersonal contacts with employees, operators and waiters, many bars and restaurants use them for example for refer to their menus, which customers can consult on their smartphones. But they are also payment shortcuts in storesinformation (in fact, they contain a link or a command that the cameras automatically read) or access to restricted areas of some apps, as well as unlocking shared bikes or scooters.
I am now ubiquitous and we must be very careful when they offer us the link to open after having framed them: like a classic phishing operation via email, those links can redirect us to bogus sites able to download code or phantom applications that end up in the phone. Or simply refer us to platforms full of advertisements, games or apps never requested and many other sites where, in the huge amount of users involved, scammers or “promoters” hope to keep as many people as possible.
As a note Mashable, QR codes «still constitute only a small part of the scams that proliferate on the web. However, the Better Business Bureau has registered quite a noticeable increase in his scam counter to publish their own “scam warning” on QR codes last year. The technology has become accessible enough for anyone to create their own Q codes. “Codes, obviously, fake: malicious, which open links to criminal sites whose the only goal is to lead us to download some useless app, collect our information, connect to an unsecured Wi-Fi network, steal our card or payment account data.
How to defend yourself? In a way that is basically not too different from what we would do in other similar cases, that is with phishing (when we receive an e-mail or a text message that question us or ask us for payments and password entries) or in general with online payments and fraud . Each QR Code opens a link and directs us to a page, a payment form, a website. Better check the site’s URL carefully we ended up on, just like we would in case of a link received by e-mail (beware of secure connection httpsto any attempts to pretend to be institutions or official institutions by imitating graphics or logos, to the way in which the bank or employer usually communicates with us and so on).
Also, but it should be natural, you should never scan QR Codes attached to the wall, provided by strangers, that is try to stay within a context that gives meaning to its use. In any case, when it comes to printed codes it is better to make sure that they are the originals and have not been glued above the previous ones. In short, whenever we have a doubt, it is better to give up framing the code. Same thing on the digital side: avoid scanning Qr code from social channels or arrived via chat or e-mail.
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Source: Vanity Fair
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
