Be careful when using QR codes
- Jul 7
- 1 min read
QR codes (so an example illustrates this article) have invaded our lives and are used in many cases:
Visiting a website
Connecting to a Wi-Fi network
Paying (parking, bill, Twint, etc.)
Calling someone
Saving a business card
Making an inventory
Etc.
Although extremely convenient, QR codes can also be dangerous, as scammers use them to lead you to dubious websites.
For example, three years ago, the police in Lausanne reported that parking payment terminals had been tampered with. Scammers had replaced the legitimate QR code with their own version, which led to a fake website in order to obtain your credit card number. The same scheme was used with fake parking tickets left on car windshields.
Twint also warned that scammers had sent postal mail in the company’s name to trick victims into entering their bank details.
The latest scam involves fake postal notices left in mailboxes, claiming that a parcel could not be delivered and that the QR code led to a fake website to obtain a credit card number.
It is therefore important to remain vigilant and not use QR codes without ensuring that they lead to an authentic website. When you scan a QR code with the ‘camera’ app, it displays the link to which the QR code leads. So take a few seconds to make sure that the link is not dangerous before connecting to the corresponding website.
Reading QR codes with a payment app is less risky, as the QR codes they scan are more difficult to imitate.
