Now that millions use the technology to make payments, scan food menus or get details for people QR code scams have become extremely common. The Indian police has alerted everyone about the possible issues with QR codes and how scammers are now using it to infiltrate devices to access personal details.
But it seems the QR scam has now become a global issue, since the US government has been sharing its own advisory and warning for people in the country. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has talked about the problems with using the technology and the ways in which the attackers can scam people.
QR code scam warning in US
The FTC warning has echoes of what we have heard from the police and cyber experts in India recently. The agency says scammers have hidden dangerous website links within the QR codes which can be used to steal anyone’s information. The report also points out the use of QR codes in parking meters that enables them to steal data from the users. The other main source of these QR code scams are used disguised as delivery agents.
The scammers try contacting you about some issue with delivery and request you to share details, for which they tend to share a QR code which invariably costs you dearly. The other popular mode for these scams has been people calling you and claiming there is some problem in your account, which could possibly be from your bank.
How to Avoid QR Scams?
Now that the basic tricks of these QR code scams are known, it is vital to know that one can easily avoid falling into the trap of these scams. Firstly, always make sure you are scanning the QR code at a genuine or reliable place. Most of the scams tend to have typos in their messages or text written along with the QR code, always try to be careful about these changes.
If you get a random message or email with a QR code asking to act immediately on it, don’t. And finally, be careful of the payment QR codes that could dupe you into sending money rather than receiving it.
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