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The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has warned Americans about QR code scams infiltrating restaurants, airports, sporting events and retail stores.
QR, which stands for “quick response,” are machine-readable codes of black and white squares that store URLs, payment options and other online services accessed through a smartphone camera.
They gained popularity during the Covid pandemic in stores and restaurants for contactless money exchanges and services, but the codes have become a mainstay.
However, thieves are designing fake codes that redirect users to fraudulent websites, allowing them to collect data, take control of smartphones or steal money.
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warned Americans about QR code scams infiltrating restaurants, airports, sporting events and retail stores.
Cybersecurity experts have been monitoring the scam and found more than 60,000 samples of QR code attacks in the third quarter of 2023.
“A scammer’s QR code could take you to a fake site that looks real but isn’t,” the FTC shared in the announcement.
‘And if you log in to the spoofed site, scammers could steal any information you enter. Or the QR code could install malware that steals your information before you know it.
Officials warned that the scams are carried out at physical locations by overlaying the fake code on top of an authentic one and through text messages and emails.
“Do not scan a QR code in an email or text message that you were not expecting, especially if it prompts you to act immediately,” the FTC noted.
“If you believe the message is legitimate, use a phone number or website that you know is real to contact the company.”
The announcement also urged the public to be careful with QR codes in unexpected locations, noting to pay attention to misspellings or changed letters in URLs.
Thieves are designing fake codes that redirect users to fraudulent websites, allowing them to collect data, take control of smartphones or steal money.
John Fokker, head of threat intelligence at Trellix, a cybersecurity company, said The New York Times: “The pandemic caused a resurgence of QR codes in our daily lives, from restaurant menus to their use in doctors’ offices, making QR codes an attractive vector for cybercriminals to use to attack people and organizations around the world.
Fokker said people should use two-factor authentication, which uses apps or phone numbers to help verify a person’s identity online, and “keep software up-to-date to ensure devices have the latest security measures in place.” “.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a similar warning in May and previously in January 2022.
A report from Marcuma New York-based accounting and advisory service, shows that QR code scams were among the top five cybersecurity threats observed in April.
The group highlights that scammers use fake codes to carry out phishing scams in emails and social media messages.
“Scammers may also approach you through an online marketplace claiming they are trying to buy products you sell and asking you to scan a QR code,” according to Marcum.
‘Avoid making payments from a website accessed by a QR code. To make the payment, manually enter a recognized and trusted website.
Another area where fake QR codes are seen is the cryptocurrency industry.
“Crypto transactions are often conducted through QR codes associated with crypto accounts…making these transactions easy to flag,” according to an FBI press release.
‘If you scan a scammer’s wrong code, you could end up giving them access to your device.
‘It can access your contacts, download malware or send you to a fake payment portal.
‘Once there, you can inadvertently give him access to your bank and credit card accounts. “If you make a payment via an incorrect QR code, it is difficult, if not impossible, to recover those funds.”