QR codes have become an important part of our daily lives. They are almost everywhere: malls, restaurants, grocery stores, trains, business cards, and even museums. The list is endless. We can scan these codes without giving it a second thought. People use them to access information, connect to networks, and even make payments. But did you know that these easy-to-use QR codes could land you in trouble?
QR codes, according to technology experts, are highly vulnerable to cyber criminals, especially when they are on public display or stuck somewhere as random stickers. For example, in the 2022 Super Bowl coin-base commercial IT featured a multi-color QR code bouncing on the screens. The code got 20 million hits; in other words, more than 20 million people scanned this random code. It was a Bitcoin ad, but this behaviour highlights that people tend to scan QR codes out of just curiosity and this could be dangerous.
Cyber hackers can tamper with QR codes and redirect victims to malicious sites where they can steal their login details, get access to financial information, and pile upon other confidential data; therefore, you need to be extra careful when you scan a QR code. Make sure that the one that you are scanning comes from a trusted source. Also, never download apps from QR codes, and most importantly, if you get a QR code on your email, chances are that the QR code might take you to an entirely unrelated website, so watch out for such QR codes as well.
