Use caution with QR codes
QR codes are convenient, easy to use, and increasingly common in our everyday lives.
We use them to access restaurant menus, board an airplane, or pay for broccoli at a farmer's market.
But, according to the Federal Trade Commission, scammers are using QR codes to steal.
It's an updated form of phishing called quishing, according to ABC7 Chicago. Scammers cover up legitimate QR codes with fake ones or send the malicious codes via email or text message. But the code doesn't link to any legitimate website. Instead, users go to spoof websites where they unwittingly enter their personal information. And in other cases, the link may install malware on the victim's device.
Watch for these common signs of a scam QR code:
* A QR code on a sticker placed over another QR code in a public place.
* Text messages or emails claiming to be government, such as a demand to pay unpaid tolls.
* Warnings about undelivered packages.
* Communications about suspicious account activity or password changes.
* Offers for investments.
* A QR code that offers a prize.
* A package you weren't expecting labeled with a QR code.
* Messages from unknown senders.
Never scan a QR code if it's suspicious or if you aren't sure whether it's safe. Instead, use your smartphone camera app to preview the attached URL. If it doesn't match the message or contains odd misspellings (like Amazan instead of Amazon), don't scan it. The digital security company Aura also advises smartphone users to avoid downloading QR code scanner apps, which can be loaded with malware themselves — instead, use your phone's native camera app.
