TULSA, Okla. — QR codes are everywhere — on restaurant menus, store shelves, packages delivered to your home, and even on TV shows.
Cybersecurity experts warn that scammers are now using fake QR codes to steal personal information in a scheme called “quishing.”
“NordVPN said that 73% of Americans actually scan QR codes without validating whether or not the QR codes are legitimate,” said Brian Ledbetter from Guide Point Security.
Quishing is a combination of “QR” and “phishing” – and operate as phishing scams. To steal your information fraudsters replace legitimate QR codes with their own malicious ones. Their goal is to get you to click on the phony QRs to get at your passwords and credit card information, and/or download malware onto your devices.
How quishing evolved
During COVID-19, QR codes became popular because people didn’t want to touch menus or other items that others had handled…