Summary
QR codes are a convenient way to direct people to a website or an app. Since almost every smartphone camera can detect QR codes, they’re simple and convenient. However, QR codes can also be used for malicious purposes, such as directing people to a fake payment page. Here are some ways to spot and avoid malicious QR codes.
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QR codes, also known as quick response codes, have become more prominent recently. You can now use them to access digital menus in restaurants, and a 2022 Super Bowl ad featured nothing more than a QR code bouncing around the screen. However, if you aren’t careful, these codes can lead you to trouble instead of what you’re looking for.
For Personal Tech Media, this is Two Minute Tech. I’m Jim Herman.
QR codes can be used for a wide variety of purposes. They can give you access to a website, download an app, or provide a method of payment.
However, there have been instances of people using these codes for malicious purposes. Last year, police in Austin, Texas, reported that a group was putting QR codes on parking meters, directing people to a payment portal. Victims scanned the code thinking they were paying for parking6 but were actually giving their credit card details to the criminals.
Here are a few ways that you can protect yourself from malicious QR codes.
First, beware of QR codes that take you to a payment portal. While it may look legitimate, it could be there to compromise your personal information.
Second, check the URL after you scan it to ensure that it looks legitimate. Avoid the site if anything about the URL doesn’t look right.
Third, don’t download an app through a QR code. Go to the app store for your device and search for the app there.
And fourth, watch out for fake or malicious QR code scanner apps. Almost every phone can now scan QRs straight through the camera, so there’s no need to take a risk on any of these apps.