QR code scams: scan with care

QR codes make life convenient, from menus to parking. Because you cannot read where a code leads before you scan it, criminals use them to send people to fake pages.

Where the risk appears

Common tricks include stickers placed over genuine codes on posters or parking meters, codes in unexpected emails or letters, and messages claiming a delivery or payment problem. The linked page copies a real login or payment form and captures what you type.

Scan with care

• Check the link preview your phone shows before opening it
• Look for stickers placed on top of printed codes
• Do not scan codes from unexpected messages
• Type the address yourself for banking or account pages

When in doubt

Never enter card details or passwords on a page you reached from an unknown code. Businesses can help customers by displaying codes in tamper-resistant places and showing the web address in plain text beside them. If you entered details by mistake, contact your bank and change the password at once.

Key takeaway: treat a QR code like an unknown link and check where it leads.