Cyber criminals have found a new trick to get their hands on your banking information. For example, they try to lure you by placing fake QR codes in letters and e-mails that send you to phishing websites. This way of scamming is very successful, because people generally trust QR codes more than unknown links.
Since the corona crisis, this form of scamming has been popping up more and more. QR codes are popular and criminals are making good use of them. This is evident from research in which the activities of cyber criminals were monitored online.
The danger of this new form of scam is twofold. We know that we should stay away from strange links, but this realization is not yet there when scanning QR codes. QR codes are often automatically trusted. Secondly, recognizing a phishing website is more difficult via your phone, with which you scan the QR code.
The rogue QR codes are in emails and letters that appear to come from your bank, but in many cases you will be scammed here. The letters and e-mails are imitated as closely as possible, so that it is almost impossible to distinguish between a fake message and a real message. Sometimes the correct IBAN is even mentioned in the message. This is because cyber criminals have access to a lot of personal data that has been revealed through a data breach.
The fake messages often state that customers must request a new bank card or verify themselves with a new app. The QR code will redirect you to a fake website where you have to enter your bank details. This gives the cyber criminals access to your bank account and transfer money to their own accounts.
Banks will never ask to scan QR codes to download an app. If you nevertheless installed a fake app via QR code, it is important to reset the phone to factory settings so that the virus is removed. Nor will you be asked for login details, PINs or other security codes.
