General Article QR Codes – what’s the real risk?

Topic Selected: Privacy Book Volume: 451

How safe is it to scan that QR code in the pub? Or in that email?

By David C

QR codes have been around since the 90s, although in the UK they really came to prominence during Covid-19 lockdowns where they were used for everything from ordering food to indicating vaccination status.

They’re widely used today for things like quickly directing users to websites, logging into devices that lack keyboards (such as online video services on smart devices), or ordering or paying for goods and services.

Understandably, people sometimes worry about whether to trust these QR codes. Many are used in public spaces (like pubs and restaurants), and so you might be wondering: are criminals placing malicious QR codes to steal money, information, or trick people in some way?

Reports of QR-enabled fraud in the UK can be found online (including one from BBC News where a woman was scammed at a railway station), but this type of scam is relatively small compared to other types of cyber fraud. The majority...

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