Watch Out for QR Code Scams - Money Tip Tuesday

If you’re familiar with QR codes, you know they’re growing in popularity for a variety of uses. But like with all technologies, scammers are now trying to use them to steal your information.  Next time you see a QR code, you might want to take a second and pause before scanning.  

Links: 

• View the FBI Public Service Announcement about QR code scams
• Read the Austin TX news release about the QR code scam with parking meters
• Follow our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages!
• Learn more about Triangle Credit Union

Transcript: 

Welcome to Money Tip Tuesday from the Making Money Personal podcast.  

You’ve probably seen QR codes everywhere. They are used in restaurants to view menus, on signs and doors for promotions or offers, in magazines and flyers and sometimes even in emails or on social media.  

They are designed to be quick, simple ways to use your phone to open a web page easily and automatically without having to search via your phone’s browser.  

QR codes have grown in popularity, especially since the pandemic, and more people have become familiar with how to use them.  

But, unfortunately, like almost any type of technology, there are people out there who want to try to use these codes to trick you and steal your information.  

Similar to how scammers try to trick you with emails, text messages, and phone calls, they are now trying to trick you with QR codes. As an informed user, you need to keep an eye out for potentially dangerous QR code scams.  

How do QR code scams work? 

Scammers create their own codes that when scanned, will direct your phone to a dangerous website or webpage that tricks you into handing over sensitive information.  

In a 2022 public service announcement, the FBI issued a warning against these types of crimes to build awareness of the threats unassuming users could face.  

They stated,” cybercriminals are taking advantage of this technology by directing QR code scans to malicious sites to steal victim data, embedding malware to gain access to the victim's device, and redirecting payment for cybercriminal use.” 

Here’s a story from the Austin TX PD that should remind us all to be aware before scanning a QR code, especially a public one.  

Police discovered that scammers placed their own QR code stickers over the legitimate ones on a bunch of public parking meters in Austin.  

Unsuspecting motorists would park their cars and scan the codes to pay the parking fee. But instead of being brought to the city’s authorized website to pay, the malicious code sent them to a fake website set up by the scammers where they willingly handed over their personal credit card information.  

If you want to protect yourself against falling for these scams, you’ll need to remember how to avoid them and learn how to detect them.  

Scan codes only from reliable sources. If you don’t know the company or person who sent you the code, don’t scan it.  

Also, inspect the code carefully for anything suspicious or signs it may have been tampered with. 

The FBI included a list of tips for how to safely interact with QR codes. Here are a few to remember:  

• Do not download an app from a QR code. Use your phone's app store for a safer download. 

• Once you scan a QR code, check the URL to make sure it is the intended site and looks authentic. 
• Avoid making payments through a site navigated to from a QR code. Instead, manually enter a known and trusted URL to complete the payment. 

You can find these tips and others at the FBI website using the link provided in the show notes.  

If you do find a suspicious code, or think you've been a victim of a QR code scam, report it to the authorities so it can be investigated and removed. Contact www.ic3.gov to start a report. That link is also included in the show notes. 

Keeping your information and devices secure is an effort that should be permanently ingrained in all our minds. We need to be on alert for the many ways people try to scam us.  

Remember to stay alert and stay aware.  

If there are any other tips or topics, you’d like us to cover, let us know at tcupodcast@trianglecu.org.  Like and follow our Making Money Personal FB and IG page and look for our sponsor, Triangle Credit Union on social media to share your thoughts.  

Thanks for listening to today’s Money Tip Tuesday and be sure to check out our other tips and episodes on the Making Money Personal podcast.  

Have a great day!