Be careful when scanning: New fraud stitches with QR codes endanger it!

Be careful when scanning: New fraud stitches with QR codes endanger it!

Steiermark, Österreich - An alarming wave of new fraud cases comes up to us! The police warn of a dangerous fraud method called "Quishing", which is particularly widespread in parking machines. Fraudsters use fake QR codes to lure unsuspecting citizens into the trap. These codes, which are provided with the "scanning and paying" request, lead the victims to deceptively real but fake websites, where they are supposed to reveal their sensitive data. Such fraud cases have already been reported in several federal states, as Kosmo.at reports.

Caution when scanning!

The dangers of the "quishing" are particularly large because these fraudulent QR codes are often attached to parking machines or charging stations of electric cars. Consumer advice centers warn that real payment codes are also glued over, so that people unknowingly reach the sides of the fraudsters. In the case of a fake QR code, information such as account details or personal information can be tapped off. As the State Criminal Police Office Lower Saxony explains, these attempts to fraud are disguised professionally by using real logos and addresses, so that they are often not recognizable at first glance, according to ZDF.de.

experts urgently advise you to be particularly careful when scanning QR codes. If a QR code looks suspiciously or has been glued over, you should keep your fingers away and instead call the official website in the browser. If you have any doubts, you should not use the given contact options for banking or service issues, but should search for the right information independently. The users are well advised to protect their sensitive data and to speak to the police if in doubt, there should be suspicion of being victims of fraud.