Latest news with #QRcodes
BBC News
5 hours ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Bolton: Ironman event visitors warned of QR code parking scam
Drivers visiting a town for a triathlon event are being warned to beware of bogus QR codes when Council said the fake codes had been found on pay-and-display machines around Bolton town centre and urged visitors to be authority said council-run car parks only took payment by cash or through the RingGo fake QR codes have directed motorists to fraudulent websites to take payment. Hundreds of people are expected to come to the town to watch or compete in the Bolton Ironman triathlon event, which takes place later. A council spokesman said: "Our civil enforcement officers and machine engineers will continue to respond quickly when alerted to these fake stickers, and they have all been removed as far as we know."They said the warning about ways to pay for parking only applied to car parking payment machines managed by Bolton Council "as some privately-managed car parks within the town may have other payment methods in use".Greater Manchester Police previously warned there had been a "steep rise" in the use of the barcodes, which offer mobile phone users a quick way of accessing a website, since the coronavirus force said criminals were using them as a "new way to defraud people". Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Scammers targeting NYC parking meters: How to protect your money
The Brief Scammers are placing fraudulent QR code stickers on NYC parking meters, leading drivers to phishing websites to steal payment information. The Department of Transportation acted swiftly by notifying users, inspecting meters, and working with Microsoft to remove the phishing site. Cybersecurity expert Robert Siciliano advises using official apps for parking payments and monitoring credit card statements, while reporting any suspicious QR codes. NEW YORK - Drivers beware! Scammers are targeting New York City parking meters by placing fraudulent QR code stickers on machines, directing drivers to third-party websites to steal payment information. What we know The Department of Transportation warns that scanning these QR codes leads to a phishing site where users are asked for payment details, which are then stolen by scammers. At least one fake sticker was found on a meter, prompting immediate action from the agency, including notifications to users, inspections of all meters, and collaboration with Microsoft to remove the phishing site. What they're saying Cybersecurity expert Robert Siciliano advises vigilance, noting that lone QR codes are often fraudulent. "A lone QR code that is plastered on is usually going to be fraud," he said. "Most municipalities and cities know at this point that there are three to five different apps that consumers might use to log in to pay for their parking, and as long as you have that app on your phone, generally you should be good." He also emphasizes monitoring credit card statements for unauthorized charges. "The problem with this particular crime is if you are not paying attention to your credit card statements in real time and pay the bill, you are responsible for that fraud," he said. What you can do The official way to pay for metered parking in the city is through the ParkNYC app or by inserting a credit card directly into the meter. Reporting any suspicious QR codes is crucial. The Source This article uses information from the New York City DOT and cybersecurity expert Robert Siciliano.
Japan Times
21-05-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Cashless payments top 40% of consumer spending in Japan
Cashless payments, primarily those made through credit cards, electronic money and QR codes, are becoming increasingly widespread in Japan. Such payment methods now account for over 40% of all personal spending in the country, reflecting a growing trend of consumers carrying little or no cash with them when going out. A number of issues still need to be addressed, however, especially a growing risk of unauthorized use of cashless payments and the potential disruption of services during disasters. In late March, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry reported that cashless payments in Japan totaled ¥141 trillion ($980 billion) in 2024, marking an 11.3% increase from the previous year. The share of such payments in personal consumption surpassed 40% for the first time, reaching 42.8%. The government's target of around 40% of spending to be made via cashless payments by 2025 was therefore achieved ahead of schedule. Cashless payments have continued to grow steadily year by year, with the total for 2024 reaching 3.7 times the ¥38.3 trillion recorded in 2010. A breakdown of the 2024 figures shows that credit cards accounted for the largest share of the total, at 82.9%, while payments based on QR or other codes have expanded rapidly, making up 9.6%. While electronic commerce has grown, an increasing number of brick-and-mortar stores now accept contactless credit card payments and smartphone-based apps such as PayPay, creating an environment more conducive to cashless shopping. The COVID-19 pandemic also accelerated the adoption of cashless payments, as consumers sought to minimize physical contact during in-person transactions. From a global perspective, however, Japan's cashless payment penetration remains relatively low. According to the Payments Japan Association, South Korea recorded by far the highest share of cashless payments in 2022, at 99.0%. Japan also trailed significantly behind China's 83.5%, Singapore's 65.6%, Britain's 64.2%, and the United States' 56.4%. The government aims to raise the domestic share of cashless payments to 80% to put the country's rate among the highest globally. Officials note that expanding cashless payments will not only enhance user convenience, but also help reduce cash-handling costs and alleviate labor shortages. Still, achieving the government's target will require overcoming several challenges. One major hurdle is the high cost borne by retailers, including expenses for installing cashless payment equipment and the commissions charged by service providers. The government has called on related industries to collaborate on easing financial burdens wherever possible. In addition, credit card fraud remains a serious concern. According to the Japan Consumer Credit Association, losses from unauthorized use reached a record ¥55.5 billion in 2024, with over 90% of the total attributed to stolen card numbers. In response, eight credit card companies in Japan announced a joint initiative in March to crack down on phishing websites. Moreover, natural disasters can pose a significant risk to cashless payment systems. A powerful earthquake that struck Hokkaido in 2018 triggered a regionwide power outage, the first of its kind in the country. With cash registers unable to read product information or verify credit card details, cashless payments could not be made at many stores. People without cash were unable to purchase essentials such as food and beverages, underscoring the risks of relying too heavily on cashless payments. In a report released in late March, the government announced new damage forecasts for a potential large-scale earthquake along the Nankai Trough, off the Pacific coast from central to western Japan. The report warned of the possibility that many consumers could become "shopping refugees," stranded without access to essential goods due to power outages and communication failures. The report emphasized that measures to ensure the continuity of payment systems "must be implemented on an ongoing basis." It also cautioned that system failures "could affect not only disaster-hit regions but the entire country," effectively urging consumers to keep cash on hand in case of emergencies.
Associated Press
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Trump order targets barcodes on ballots. They've long been a source of misinformation
ATLANTA (AP) — President Donald Trump's executive order seeking to overhaul how U.S. elections are run includes a somewhat obscure reference to the way votes are counted. Voting equipment, it says, should not use ballots that include 'a barcode or quick-response code.' Those few technical words could have a big impact. Voting machines that give all voters a ballot with one of those codes are used in hundreds of counties across 19 states. Three of them -- Georgia, South Carolina and Delaware -- use the machines statewide. Some computer scientists, Democrats and left-leaning election activists have raised concerns about their use, but those pushing conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election have been the loudest, claiming without evidence that manipulation has already occurred. Trump, in justifying the move, said in the order that his intention was 'to protect election integrity.' Even some election officials who have vouched for the accuracy of systems that use coded ballots have said it's time to move on because too many voters don't trust them. Colorado's secretary of state, Democrat Jena Griswold, decided in 2019 to stop using ballots with QR codes, saying at the time that voters 'should have the utmost confidence that their vote will count.' Amanda Gonzalez, the elections clerk in Colorado's Jefferson County, doesn't support Trump's order but believes Colorado's decision was a worthwhile step. 'We can just eliminate confusion,' Gonzalez said. 'At the end of the day, that's what I want -- elections that are free, fair, transparent.' Target for misinformation Whether voting by mail or in person, millions of voters across the country mark their selections by using a pen to fill in ovals on paper ballots. Those ballots are then fed through a tabulating machine to tally the votes and can be retrieved later if a recount is needed. In other places, people voting in person use a touch-screen machine to mark their choices and then get a paper record of their votes that includes a barcode or QR code. A tabulator scans the code to tally the vote. Election officials who use that equipment say it's secure and that they routinely perform tests to ensure the results match the votes on the paper records, which they retain. The coded ballots have nevertheless become a target of election conspiracy theories. 'I think the problem is super exaggerated,' said Lawrence Norden of the Brennan Center for Justice. 'I understand why it can appeal to certain parts of the public who don't understand the way this works, but I think it's being used to try to question certain election results in the past.' Those pushing conspiracy theories related to the 2020 election have latched onto a long-running legal battle over Georgia's voting system. In that case, a University of Michigan computer scientist testified that an attacker could tamper with the QR codes to change voter selections and install malware on the machines. The testimony from J. Alex Halderman has been used to amplify Trump's false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, even though there is no evidence that any of the weaknesses he found were exploited. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, has defended the state's voting system as secure. In March, the judge who presided over Halderman's testimony declined to block the use of Georgia's voting equipment but said the case had 'identified substantial concerns about the administration, maintenance and security of Georgia's electronic in-person voting system.' Can the executive order ban coded ballots? Trump's election executive order is being challenged in multiple lawsuits. One has resulted in a preliminary injunction against a provision that sought to require proof of citizenship when people register to vote. The section banning ballots that use QR or barcodes relies on a Trump directive to a federal agency, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, which sets voluntary guidelines for voting systems. Not all states follow them. Some of the lawsuits say Trump doesn't have the authority to direct the commission because it was established by Congress as an independent agency. While the courts sort that out, the commission's guidelines say ballots using barcodes or QR codes should include a printed list of the voters' selections so they can be checked. Trump's order exempts voting equipment used by voters with disabilities, but it promises no federal money to help states and counties shift away from systems using QR or barcodes. 'In the long run, it would be nice if vendors moved away from encoding, but there's already evidence of them doing that,' said Pamela Smith, president of the group Verified Voting. Counties in limbo Kim Dennison, election coordinator of Benton County, Arkansas, estimated that updating the county's voting system would cost around $400,000 and take up to a year. Dennison said she has used equipment that relies on coded ballots since she started her job 15 years ago and has never found an inaccurate result during postelection testing. 'I fully and completely trust the equipment is doing exactly what it's supposed to be doing and not falsifying reports,' she said. 'You cannot change a vote once it's been cast.' In Pennsylvania's Luzerne County, voting machines that produce a QR code will be used in this year's primary. But officials expect a manufacturer's update later this year to remove the code before the November elections. County Manager Romilda Crocamo said officials had not received any complaints from voters about QR codes but decided to make the change when Dominion Voting Systems offered the update. The nation's most populous county, Los Angeles, uses a system with a QR code that it developed over a decade and deployed in 2020 after passing a state testing and certification program. The county's chief election official, Dean Logan, said the system exceeded federal guidelines at the time and meets many of the standards outlined in the most recent ones approved in 2021. He said postelection audits have consistently confirmed its accuracy. Modifying or replacing it would be costly and take years, he said. The county's current voting equipment is valued at $140 million. 'Train Wreck' in Georgia? Perhaps nowhere has the issue been more contentious than Georgia, a presidential battleground. It uses the same QR code voting system across the state. Marilyn Marks, executive director of the Coalition for Good Governance, a lead plaintiff in the litigation over the system, said her group has not taken a position on Trump's executive order but said the federal Election Assistance Commission should stop certifying machines that use barcodes. The secretary of state said the voting system follows Georgia law, which requires federal certification at the time the system is bought. Nevertheless, the Republican-controlled legislature has voted to ban the use of QR codes but did not allocate any money to make the change — a cost estimated at $66 million. Republicans said they want to replace the system when the current contract expires in 2028, but their law is still scheduled to take effect next year. GOP state Rep. Victor Anderson said there is no realistic way to 'prevent the train wreck that's coming.' ___ Associated Press writer Christina A. Cassidy contributed to this report. ___ Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Kramon on X: @charlottekramon.
BBC News
11-05-2025
- BBC News
Southeastern: New lost and found system sees more items returned
Trumpets, church keys and an insulin pen were among the almost 5,000 lost items successfully returned to their owners as part of a train company's new lost and found than 19,000 belongings were retrieved by Southeastern from trains and stations within the year and nearly 25% were reunited with owners - up from 10% last most "forgetful" areas include London (5,762 items), Tonbridge/Hastings (3,672 items) and Ramsgate (2,231 items), according to the train unique QR codes to tag and track lost items, Southeastern's lost property lead Aaron Cox said the system is "quicker, more secure and easier to use". The most commonly mislaid items were backpacks (2,056), mobile phones (1,745) and earphones (1,136), according to Southeastern returned items have included an antique glass owl, tents and a snooker digital lost and found scheme launched in April 2024, replacing a paper system that was previously in place.
