The Guardian: Beware QR code scams

"Look before you scan – the QR code scammers are phishing for business"

Here’s a familiar scenario. You’re going to a meeting in an unfamiliar part of town. You’re running late and it’s raining. And there isn’t a car park in sight. Ah, but here’s some on-street parking and you gratefully pull into the empty bay. Now all you have to do is pay for a couple of hours and then scuttle along to your meeting. But the parking meter (of course) no longer takes coins. This is the 21st century, after all.

No worries – you can pay by phone. There are notices plastered all over the meter on how to pay using an app that – of course – you have not yet downloaded. The rain is getting heavier and there’s no mobile signal. You’re getting increasingly flustered. And then you spot that there’s a Quick Response (QR) code – a nice (if incomprehensible) square with lots of funny squares and spaces – on one side of the meter. Phew! All you have to do is scan it and you’ll be through to a website in no time. So you do and you are. Job done. Relax.

Continue reading the article online ->  https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jun/08/qr-code-scammers-phishing-quick-response-cybersecurity

The Guardian: Beware QR code scams

Protecting Yourself from QR Code Fraud

via Social Security Administration:

"Quick Response codes, better known as QR codes, are a very popular way to get information. QR codes are scannable barcodes that will direct you to a website.

There are many legitimate and helpful uses for QR codes, from paying for parking to viewing a restaurant menu. But since scammers often use QR codes to carry out their schemes, it’s important for you to learn how to spot a fake!

Scammers create QR codes to trick people into visiting a fraudulent website or downloading malware that compromises their personal information."

Continue reading the article online to get those tips 

https://blog.ssa.gov/protecting-yourself-from-qr-code-fraud/

Protecting Yourself from QR Code Fraud

Scammers hide harmful links in QR codes to steal your information

Scammers hide harmful links in QR codes to steal your information By Alvaro Puig QR codes seem to be everywhere. You may have scanned one to see the menu at a restaurant or pay for public parking. And you may have used one on your phone to get into a concert or sporting event, or to board a flight. There are countless other ways to use them, which explains their popularity. Unfortunately, scammers hide harmful links in QR codes to steal personal information. Here's what to know. Read more ->  https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/12/scammers-hide-harmful-links-qr-codes-steal-your-information Scammers hide harmful links in QR codes to steal your information

The background on QR codes; QR code for Election Collection 2021

"Just open a phone camera, point it at this special type of link and get transported to a website with more information than a paper menu ever offered. Even classically brick-and-mortar businesses like furniture retailers are using QR, or quick response, codes to help shoppers choose what to buy.

But QR codes serve a purpose beyond cutting down on germs. They turn analog interactions — like ordering a pizza — into digital ones, and those digital interactions can be subject to tracking by the restaurant or store. Because QR codes open a browser, companies might use that digital signal to connect the dots between online and offline activity."

Continue reading the article online. (Subscription maybe required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/10/07/are-qr-codes-safe/

The QR Code to get to the "Election Collection 2021" is shown here

The QR Code to get to the "Election Collection 2021"