Nowadays, anyone can pull out their phone and scan a QR code to view a menu or pay a bill.
However, QR codes might allow criminals to access your sensitive information quickly. The NBC6 Responds crew has some recommendations to help you detect the red signs and avoid being a victim the next time you see those digital barcodes. According to a recent survey, 83% of people in September indicated they used a QR Code for a financial transaction in the previous three months.
“QR codes can be hazardous; they can result in financial loss, personal information theft, or any other type of attack,” said Iskander Sanchez-Rola of Gen Digital. Gen Digital is a cybersecurity software company, and Sanchez-Rola believes everyone should be wary of unusual QR Code behavior. Suspicious activity could include a phony code that hides the genuine code, such as a sticker.
One example occurred recently near Los Angeles, California, when a beach town warned visitors after approximately 150 parking meters were discovered to have bogus QR Code stickers placed over the real ones in August. “So, seek signs or suggestions that something has been tampered with. Sanchez-Rola explained that it may appear to be a sticker on top of something different. Sanchez-Rola advises using reputable sources to avoid parking meter QR Code fraud or any other variation of the scam. If a physical parking meter allows you to pay with a debit or credit card, do so rather than scanning a code.
According to Sanchez-Rola, we should all think twice before scanning a QR code that urges us to submit personal information to access their service, such as our phone number or email address.
“So, you give all that information, and then they can use it for whatever they want,” Sanchez-Rola told reporters. You should verify the URL that a QR Code directs you to and any program the code asks you to download. “Once they have you installed on the phone, they are in charge of everything in the phone,” Sanchez-Rola told me. He also mentioned “Genie,” a free program that scans QR codes, phone messages, websites, and social posts to determine whether they are scams. Genie is administered by Norton, the same corporation that runs Gen Digital. If you believe you have been the victim of an identity crime, phone or text 888-400-5530.
