Wait, is that QR code safe?

2 November 2023

QR codes are loved for their simplicity in enabling quick and hustle free access to information. As such, you are more likely to use your smartphone to read a QR code to fill out a registration form, access WiFi, loading a website, share contact information or read a menu among other use cases.

Cybercriminals have picked up on the QR code trend for fraudulent purposes. Cybercriminals main technique is to send unsuspecting users an e-mail that contains a QR code. The QR code leads users to access a malware loaded website or fake site that requests for sensitive information such as passwords.

Here are the top tips to consider before scanning that QR code in your inbox:

  • Do not scan the QR code if it has been sent to you from an unfamiliar source
  • Check out for suspicious signs such as a poorly worded email, grammatical errors and most importantly if the tone has a sense of urgency for you to act
  • Do not enter any of your sensitive details such as passwords on any website or any link from the QR code (if your hands were too quick to scan)!

Stay safe!