Latest news with #QRcodes
BBC News
6 days ago
- BBC News
Fake QR code scammers targeting Leeds city centre parking bays
Scammers are using fake QR codes in attempts to steal money from drivers using parking spaces in Leeds, the city council warned. The thieves have pasted over a number of legitimate signs in the city centre with realistic-looking replicas that instruct people to scan a bogus code, which then asks for financial and personal details. Leeds City Council said it would "never ask for payment via a QR code" and asked those who spot them to report it to police via Yorkshire Police advised those who scanned the QR codes to contact Action Fraud. One fake sticker around the Holmes Street area displayed a green sign with a QR code purporting to be from the legitimate PaybyPhone service. PaybyPhone has been contacted for comment. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
6 days ago
- BBC News
Warning as fake RingGo car park QR codes appear in city
Motorists have been urged to be "vigilant" after fake QR codes have appeared in car City Council (PCC) said it had found a "small number" of fake RingGo stickers on its payment codes lead to fraudulent websites designed to steal peoples' bank details, the council urged people to be "vigilant and report anything suspicious". A PCC spokesperson added the authority does not use QR codes and information on how to access RingGo, a cashless parking app, was on its machines.
Digital Trends
04-08-2025
- Digital Trends
FBI warns of a particular scam involving QR codes
Scammers are increasingly exploiting QR codes to trick people into revealing financial information or installing malicious software on their devices. The FBI has recently issued a warning about a particular type of scam involving QR codes on packages delivered to people who didn't order them. Recommended Videos The scammers are clearly playing on our curious nature, with the appearance of an innocent-looking QR code likely to tempt at least some people to scan it to find out more about the mystery package they've just received. But this could take you on a journey where you end up being tricked into handing over personal details such as financial information, or downloading malware that could pull data from your phone. 'While this scam is not as widespread as other fraud schemes, the public should be aware of this criminal activity,' the FBI said. The agency said the activity is a variation of the so-called 'brushing scam' where online sellers send you unordered items so that it can use your name to post fake reviews to boost the product's rating. 'In a traditional brushing scam, online vendors send merchandise to an unsolicited recipient and then use the recipient's information to post a positive review of the product,' the FBI explained, adding that in this latest variation, 'scam actors have incorporated the use of QR codes on packages to facilitate financial fraud activities.' The FBI is imploring people to beware of delivered packages that they didn't order, and to avoid scanning QR codes from unknown origins. The agency's warning comes at a time when QR codes are being increasingly used in scams besides those involving unsolicited packages. QR codes are being used increasingly by criminals, mainly because of their growing presence in everyday life. It means scammers are even sticking fake codes over legitimate ones, so you need to be on your guard when you hold your phone over one, especially when you're out and about. The New York Department of Transportation, for example, recently alerted drivers to a scam where criminals were sticking QR codes on parking meters. The code directed anyone who scanned it to a third-party webpage asking for credit card information. These days, most phone cameras automatically recognize QR codes and, unless you've turned off the setting, show you the web address that you'll land on if you tap it to proceed. So even with codes that you think you can trust, take a moment to read that address before going ahead. As for QR codes stuck on packages that you didn't order, just ignore them entirely.
Yahoo
03-08-2025
- Yahoo
From Phishing To 'Quishing': The Sneaky New QR Code Scam Targeting 26 Million Americans
When QR codes first hit the scene, they were a niche tool, employed by factories to track inventory or by museums to offer visitors unique interactive experiences. The pandemic made them more ubiquitous, and they can now be found everywhere from air travel to parking payments. QR codes make our lives easier in a number of ways, but unfortunately, they also seem poised to make it a lot harder. As their popularity has risen, scammers have started to eye them as their next target for exploitation. Don't Miss: 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. You can Accredited Investors: Grab Pre-IPO Shares of the AI Company Powering Hasbro, Sephora & MGM— "As with many technological advances that start with good intentions, QR codes have increasingly become targets for malicious use. Because they are everywhere — from gas pumps and yard signs to television commercials — they're simultaneously useful and dangerous," BlueVoyant Senior Director of Proactive Cybersecurity Services Dustin Brewer told CNBC. Brewer told the network that hackers are using the codes to trick unsuspecting people into visiting malicious websites or giving away sensitive personal information. This type of scam is called "quishing." Quishing appeals to scammers because of how easy it is to execute. There are plenty of free QR code generators online, and all it takes is slapping one on a sticker at a parking meter or slipping a pre-printed letter into your mailbox to get things going. Trending: $100k+ in investable assets? – no cost, no obligation. "The crooks are relying on you being in a hurry and you needing to do something," University of Rochester electrical and computer engineering professor Gaurav Sharma told CNBC. As safeguards have been put into place to crack down on the number of traditional phishing e-mails going around, and as consumers wisen up to old-school text and phone scams, crooks have had to get creative with their tactics. And get creative, they are. NordVPN told CNBC that 73% of Americans scan QR codes without verifying their authenticity. This has led to upwards of 26 million people being directed to malicious sites. Part of the reason quishing scams are so successful is that we aren't yet well-versed in how to recognize them. A report published by the cybersecurity platform KeepNet found that only 36% of quishing scams have been accurately identified and reported."The cat and mouse game of security will continue and that people will figure out solutions and the crooks will either figure out a way around or look at other places where the grass is greener," Sharma told CNBC. Companies are working to fortify QR codes against intrusion, and to educate the public on how to spot potential scams that use the codes, but say there's still a long way to go. "QR codes weren't built with security in mind, they were built to make life easier, which also makes them perfect for scammers," Rob Lee, chief of research and chief of AI at SANS Institute, told CNBC. "We've seen this playbook before with phishing emails; now it just comes with a smiley pixelated square. It's not panic-worthy yet, but it's exactly the kind of low-effort, high-return tactic attackers love to scale." Read Next: Here's what Americans think you need to be considered wealthy. Image: Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article From Phishing To 'Quishing': The Sneaky New QR Code Scam Targeting 26 Million Americans originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
BBC News
24-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Blind Plymouth business owner creates QR codes for menus
A Devon business owner is hoping to make ordering at restaurants and cafés easier for blind people using QR Hulcoop - who has been blind since birth - set up his All Things Dotty business in 2023 to make Braille menus for venues across the 23-year-old from Plymouth's latest development has been to create QR codes which can give blind or visually-impaired diners an audio version of an eatery's menu so they do not have to rely on others to read out the Hulcoop has also launched a petition to ask the government to introduce legislation which would require all hospitality venues to have accessible menus. The QR codes are embossed with Braille, so visually-impaired customers can feel where the code is, scan it with their phone and listen to the menu at their Hulcoop said, in his experience, most visually impaired people - especially the younger generation - preferred to use added: "By scanning a QR code, it opens the restaurant up to a whole new world of people." Mr Hulcoop said when he asked some restaurant owners why they did not provide Braille or audio menus, their response was they do not think there was the demand. "My question to restaurants and cafes is how do you know whether you get a visually-impaired customer," he said."Not everybody uses a long cane or a guide dog, and people don't ask for an accessible menu because, let's face it, very, very few people had accessible menus available." The Boat House restaurant in Plymouth, which already offers customers Braille menus, is one of the first eateries to use a QR manager George Ford said: "I would say someone being visually-impaired or hearing-impaired is no different to having an allergen."We should always cater for it and make everyone feel as normal as possible."If you are visually-impaired and you are coming to a venue without a Braille menu or a large-print menu, you probably feel quite isolated."
