Scammers are weaponising QR codes — here’s how to avoid getting caught

One of the worst parts about getting scammed is the shame, and that shame just plays into the hands of the crooks.

<![CDATA[ <article> <p>One of the worst parts about getting scammed is the shame, and that shame just plays into the hands of the crooks. If we don't spread the personal stories, then no one gets warned. So, good on Les Howard who told <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyjqg578e1o" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">his story of getting QR code scammed</a> to the BBC earlier this week.</p><p>Les, quite understandably, feel victim to what's widely known in the security industry as <a href="https://www.techradar.com/pro/how-to-stay-safe-from-cybercriminal-quishing-attacks">quishing</a> (QR phishing). Les scanned a QR code that he thought was to pay for his parking, downloaded the app, put in his card details and then watched as chunks of cash were removed from his account day after day. Not great.</p><p>There are a number of different ways that QR scams work. Les Howard experienced the fake app routine, but it could just have easily been a link to a fake website, mocked up to look exactly like the real one. AI can work marvels these days when it comes to creating duplicate web pages.</p><p>You can just as easily get done by the QR scanner apps themselves, which will take a legitimate QR and send you anywhere it wants to, adding all sorts of other links or scraping the details that you send through.</p><p>Now, this doesn't mean that we shouldn't use QR codes. We just need to be a bit more careful about it. The two most important pieces of advice are to use the QR scanner that comes baked into your phone's camera app, if you have one, and, second, use a QR code checker app to make sure what you're scanning isn't a scam.</p><p>There are free online tools for the job, such as <a href="https://www.isthisqrsafe.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Is This QR Safe</a> and <a href="https://dnschecker.org/qr-code-scanner.php" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">DNS Checker</a> but they also come bundled in with other tools such as <a href="https://www.techradar.com/computing/computing-security/antivirus">antivirus</a> and <a href="https://www.techradar.com/vpn/virtual-private-networks">VPNs</a>. <a href="https://www.techradar.com/reviews/kaspersky-2020-antivirus-solutions">Kaspersky</a> antivirus has a QR code scammer. <a href="https://www.techradar.com/vpn/best-vpn">The VPN to choose</a> to get one is <a href="https://www.techradar.com/reviews/ipvanish-vpn">IPVanish</a>.</p><div class="product"><a data-dimension112="62020826-a223-11f1-bc37-dd0095ccbe98" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Get IPVanish: $2.49 per month" data-dimension48="Get IPVanish: $2.49 per month" href="https://affiliate.ipvanish.com/aff_c?offer_id=39&aff_id=1219&url_id=1250" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1080px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:100.00%;"><img id="rDD4t8Gs3NMGmhEZ6rHeYb" name="IPVanish deal block.png" caption="" alt="" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rDD4t8Gs3NMGmhEZ6rHeYb.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1080" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" credit="" class=""></p></div></div></figure></a><p><strong>Get IPVanish: </strong><a href="https://affiliate.ipvanish.com/aff_c?offer_id=39&aff_id=1219&url_id=1250" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="62020826-a223-11f1-bc37-dd0095ccbe98" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Get IPVanish: $2.49 per month" data-dimension48="Get IPVanish: $2.49 per month" data-dimension25=""><strong>$2.49 per month</strong></a><strong></strong><br>IPVanish has long been a good VPN provider, and it's the only reputable VPN with a QR code checker included. It's built into the app and scans the destination page for all possible threats to make sure it's 100% clean. You can try IPVanish for one month for $14.99 but that's pretty pricey. The better value is either the 1-year plan ($3.89 per month) or the 2-year plan ($2.49 per month). <a href="https://affiliate.ipvanish.com/aff_c?offer_id=39&aff_id=1219&url_id=1250" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Both of those longer plans come with 30-day money-back guarantees</a>. If you don't like it within that time, you'll get a full refund.<a class="view-deal button" href="https://affiliate.ipvanish.com/aff_c?offer_id=39&aff_id=1219&url_id=1250" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="62020826-a223-11f1-bc37-dd0095ccbe98" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Get IPVanish: $2.49 per month" data-dimension48="Get IPVanish: $2.49 per month" data-dimension25="">View Deal</a></p></div><p>The IPVanish QR code checker – like all good QR code checkers – loads a live version of the destination page, rather than just relying on domain blacklists that may not be up to date.</p><p>It checks all the facets of the page for anything malicious, and follows any redirects that may be trying to throw it off the scent, until it's sure the QR code is safe. If all is well, it presents you with the page and allows you to continue. If not, you'll be told it's a scam code. Pretty simple stuff from the user end.</p><p>We rate IPVanish as solid, 4-star VPN. It's only short of the very <a href="https://www.techradar.com/vpn/best-vpn">best VPNs</a> on features like server count and some streaming service unblocking that's not a priority for this use case.</p><p>In terms of QR code checking and other security features, it's right up there. So, if you're VPN-curious and definitely want in on a QR code checker, then give it a go.</p><p>If a QR code checker is all you want, though, then make sure to take some of those free options above for a spin, instead, before you settle on which one to use full time.</p><div data-widget-type="review" data-model-name="IPVanish" class="hawk-root"></div> </article> ]]>