Driven by the epidemic, the use of e-wallets is becoming a widespread habit. Whether it’s for epidemic prevention purposes, product advertising, or to promote transactions, QR codes can add a lot of convenience and business opportunities, but such convenience also opens up alternative fraudulent paths for hackers. According to Trend Micro, a global leader in network security solutions, Trend Micro has proposed four common QR code fraudulent techniques.
1） the most common swapping QR code fraud
QR code swapping is the most common fraudulent technique, in which people with bad intentions swap the QR codes in public areas or at the entrances of businesses, and once the QR codes are scanned by unsuspecting people, they may be directed to another websites, implanted with malicious programs, or sent high-cost SMS messages, resulting in the hacking of cell phones and privacy leaks.
2) phishing emails with QR codes to entice account privacy
In order to avoid the anti-virus software’s URL filtering function, hackers also follow the times and entrap QR codes in emails to lure people to scan the QR codes through phishing. For example, a letter pretending to be a bank sends a notice of privacy policy changes, asking the recipient to scan the QR code to review and agree to the bank’s newly revised privacy policy. However, the scan actually connects to a fake online banking login screen, which tricks users into entering their banking information and steals their bank account passwords.
3) A QR code payment scam has emerged in view of zero-touch payment.
Hackers are taking advantage of the wave of zero-touch payment to trick people into scanning QR codes for payment. In a real-life case, there have been cases where fraudsters posed as parking lot staff and approached people who were about to pay for parking, claiming that the automatic payment machine was malfunctioning and luring them to scan the QR code for payment in order to obtain money.
4) A QR code scam to capitalise on the cryptocurrency boom
With the recent boom in virtual currencies, fraudulent groups may use QR codes to lure people into downloading fake virtual cryptocurrency wallets, claiming that they can get rewards for downloading through QR codes. However, in reality, they receive counterfeit coins or download a fake virtual cryptocurrency wallet. In addition, there is also a scam that uses QR codes to trick users into agreeing to transfer virtual cryptocurrency from one wallet to another, thereby stealing the virtual currency.
