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Cybersecurity experts are warning about scammers using QR codes to take advantage of unsuspecting victims.What is a QR code?Short for “quick response” code, the small barcodes are ubiquitous, getting scanned using a phone’s camera to link to restaurant menus, online payment systems or any other digital task.”We’re all familiar with these things,” said Jean-Paul Bergeaux, the federal chief technology officer for GuidePoint Security. “The concept is, ‘How do we give people a way to get to a link, where they don’t have to enter it, to simplify our life,’ which it does very well.”How does ‘Quishing’ work?Unfortunately, like most things, scammers are finding ways to use QR codes as part of a scam that’s known as “Quishing.””You’re just scanning it and hitting it and saying go, and so you can go anywhere, and the bad guys can send you anywhere,” Bergeaux said. “That’s the hook for them, right? It’s not only just ubiquitous and everywhere, but there’s a bit of (anonymity) to it.” Bergeaux said scammers most commonly use QR codes to send you to a dummy website to get your information — and money.”They’re going to steal things from your phone. They’re going to steal your information. They’re going to steal your accounts just by scanning it,” Bergeaux said.It happened in BaltimoreSo, say you’re trying to park your car. A fake QR code posted on a parking meter could take you to a website that looks like you’re paying for parking, when in reality, a scammer just stole your credit card information.It’s a problem that was reported in Baltimore earlier this year, when the Parking Authority of Baltimore City warned drivers not to scan QR codes on its meters.How do I avoid QR code scams?There are ways to protect yourself. For one, check whether the QR code has been tampered with, or whether it’s just covered up by a sticker or piece of paper. You could also avoid using them altogether.”You can simply just go to the app store, download the ParkMobile app — or whatever the app is —yourself, and don’t take the risk of being sent somewhere you potentially don’t want to go,” Bergeaux said.It’s also good practice to not reuse passwords and to turn on multi-factor authentication to keep information safe in your most important accounts.What do I do if I fell victim to a QR code scam?If hackers do access your phone, don’t wait to act.”The first thing is, what did they get? If they got an account, reset the account, retake control over that account, whatever that account is,” Bergeaux said.Bergeaux warned that even if a QR code is made with good intentions, the websites used to create the QR codes can sometimes do so maliciously. So, if something seems off or doesn’t seem right, check with the company or organization before scanning a QR code or clicking any links.
Cybersecurity experts are warning about scammers using QR codes to take advantage of unsuspecting victims.
What is a QR code?
Short for “quick response” code, the small barcodes are ubiquitous, getting scanned using a phone’s camera to link to restaurant menus, online payment systems or any other digital task.
“We’re all familiar with these things,” said Jean-Paul Bergeaux, the federal chief technology officer for GuidePoint Security. “The concept is, ‘How do we give people a way to get to a link, where they don’t have to enter it, to simplify our life,’ which it does very well.”
How does ‘Quishing’ work?
Unfortunately, like most things, scammers are finding ways to use QR codes as part of a scam that’s known as “Quishing.”
“You’re just scanning it and hitting it and saying go, and so you can go anywhere, and the bad guys can send you anywhere,” Bergeaux said. “That’s the hook for them, right? It’s not only just ubiquitous and everywhere, but there’s a bit of (anonymity) to it.”
Bergeaux said scammers most commonly use QR codes to send you to a dummy website to get your information — and money.
“They’re going to steal things from your phone. They’re going to steal your information. They’re going to steal your accounts just by scanning it,” Bergeaux said.
It happened in Baltimore
So, say you’re trying to park your car. A fake QR code posted on a parking meter could take you to a website that looks like you’re paying for parking, when in reality, a scammer just stole your credit card information.
It’s a problem that was reported in Baltimore earlier this year, when the Parking Authority of Baltimore City warned drivers not to scan QR codes on its meters.
How do I avoid QR code scams?
There are ways to protect yourself. For one, check whether the QR code has been tampered with, or whether it’s just covered up by a sticker or piece of paper. You could also avoid using them altogether.
“You can simply just go to the app store, download the ParkMobile app — or whatever the app is —yourself, and don’t take the risk of being sent somewhere you potentially don’t want to go,” Bergeaux said.
It’s also good practice to not reuse passwords and to turn on multi-factor authentication to keep information safe in your most important accounts.
What do I do if I fell victim to a QR code scam?
If hackers do access your phone, don’t wait to act.
“The first thing is, what did they get? If they got an account, reset the account, retake control over that account, whatever that account is,” Bergeaux said.
Bergeaux warned that even if a QR code is made with good intentions, the websites used to create the QR codes can sometimes do so maliciously. So, if something seems off or doesn’t seem right, check with the company or organization before scanning a QR code or clicking any links.
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