As technology digital advances, it is increasingly common to see establishments adopting innovative solutions to simplify their daily operations and improve the customer experience.
Among these solutions, the QR Code has stood out as a quick and convenient tool that allows customers to access menus, obtain information and make payments.
However, the growing use of the QR code has also given rise to scammers, who manipulate QR Codes to steal personal and banking data from third parties.
Protection against these scams is essential. Therefore, it is essential to understand the risks associated with using the QR Code and adopt security measures to protect yourself against possible digital fraud.
Photo: Olhar Digital/Reproduction
How does the QR Code scam work?
The QR Code scam involves replacing an establishment’s original code with another, redirecting the user to a malicious link with the intention of stealing cell phone data.
With this information in hand, scammers can access Bank accountssocial networks and apply various types of fraud in the user’s name.
Fraudsters visit the location and observe how the QR Code is displayed to customers. They then print out a similar code and paste it over the original, tricking consumers into scanning it unsuspectingly.
How to identify a fake QR Code?
In practice, it is possible to try to identify a fake QR Code by paying attention to the design details.
Genuine QR Codes have a professional design, with clean, aligned edges. Therefore, misprints, misalignments or suspicious visual characteristics may indicate the presence of a fake code.
Additionally, it is important to note whether there are stickers stuck on the code original.
Furthermore, it is important to highlight that there are more than 40 versions of the QR Code numbered from 1 to 40. In turn, each version has a different size matrix, ranging from 21×21 to 177×177 cells.
The higher the version, the greater the number of cells present in the QR Code, allowing more data to be stored.
Support our work ❤️
If you enjoyed this article, consider leaving a tip to help us keep publishing great content.
