Diving into QR code phishing attacks

There is currently an increased number of QR code phishing attacks. There’s always a beauty behind scanning a QR code to access a service. Before you open any QR code, there’s a link behind it. Unfortunately, a few people will think that the link behind that win a lottery QR code is a deadly link that is bound to rob them off their privacy and even cause a loss sometimes

I don’t blame anybody for not knowing this because current technology is speeding like a city trench; new ideas pop up every day.

What is the magic behind hiding phishing links in a QR code?

The perception humans have about QR codes is quite beautiful. No one easily thinks that what is behind that QR code is dangerous. Because QR codes are mostly used by serious organizations that deal with serious business. The scammers are not sleeping and they know that the best way to steal or destroy is by disguising what seems right and making it wrong. For example, if a huge company like Riham is giving out offers through a QR code, everybody scans to win. What hackers do is as well copy the source code of Riham, create a phishing link with it, and then paste it behind a QR code

QR Codes are best for hiding disguised links. If you place a cursor on a link inside a QR code, it rarely highlights the actual link you are being led to especially when the link has been scanned by a mobile phone. This makes it easy for you to just click on the link and have your information stolen

How is QR Code phishing done?

A hacker makes a phishing link the usual way, purchases a hosting package at a cheaper price or even at a free cost and a fake domain name. Domain names being cheap nowadays have made phishing easier. The hacker then copies code from a famously known site like LinkedIn, makes a little change to it and then uses the code editor in the website to paste the feck code. At the end of it all, the feck website is created and useful information is collected in the PHP database

Most hackers know nowadays that majority of the people know about phishing and so they have got the secret of hiding the code behind the QR Code. To make matters worse, there are sites that facilitate the free creation of QR Codes nowadays

What do you do if you are suspicious that the link behind the QR Code is a phishing link?

You must follow the same procedures that help you overcome phishing in order to help you overcome QR code phishing attacks as well. I will list them below but will as well attach links to previous posts on the right of this article

• Avoid scanning QR Codes from malicious sites
• Copy the suspicious link and paste to a browser to view. Do not click on the link directly
• Do not fill in your information in the feck site provided

QR code phishing attacks are a reality you should not ignore but be aware of. If you need a training on digital security, please visit the main page of this site and you will find a form to fill in

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