This is an example of people being fooled by fake QR codes that look very convincing. (Source: Facebook)
Australians are being warned about scanning QR codes in public places as new scam techniques become more prevalent. Fraud comes in all shapes and sizes, and ‘kissing’ is occurring in Australia as more establishments and services adopt QR codes to help people pay.
We’re so used to scanning codes to check in to venues, pay for parking, order food at pubs, and do so many other things that many of us don’t even know what our phones are. You won’t wonder if it’s directed at you. However, Electronic Frontiers Australia chairman John Pane told Yahoo Finance that scammers are overwriting the legitimate QR codes and using their own QR codes.
“QR codes allow malicious parties to exploit devices and infect them with malware,” he explained.
“They can steal your personal information or do things like that.” [quishing] Scams: QR codes that redirect you to malicious sites or infect your device with malware that steals your personal data. ”
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A video showing a perfectly normal-looking parking meter in the UK has gone viral on social media.
Parking signs will display a QR code, which will presumably allow you to pay to park in the lot for as long as you need.
However, an eagle-eyed passerby noticed that someone had placed a QR code sticker on top of a regular QR code sticker.
It is clear that many people are being fooled by this upward trend.
“I got caught by one of them… After paying the parking fee, the scammer used my card information to withdraw recurring payments from my account. Some without my knowledge. It was a small amount of money,” one person wrote.
“Thanks to good technology, fraudsters can easily catch people. Do not trust this type of payment system for parking fees,” another added.
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“I was fooled by this and signed up for the gym instead of paying for parking!!” said a third person.
Scammers typically set up websites that look similar to legitimate parking sites, making it easy for them to collect data by entering personal and financial information.
“There is a risk that metadata related to users will be collected, such as the type of device they are using to scan the code, their IP address, and the location information they enter while on the site,” Payne told Yahoo Finance.
“Financial data, such as credit or debit card numbers used to purchase encryption services on the underlying website, could also be compromised.”
Quishing hits Australia, UK and US
Consumer group CHOICE believes quiche could become one of the biggest scams in 2024 and will be seen across the UK and US.
Australia’s Scamwatch has revealed that $100,000 has already been lost on our shores since 2020. Last year there were 56 reports of phishing scams mentioning QR codes, but thankfully there were no financial losses.
Scammers target key trusted entities because they know how many people are using it.
Services Australia said it had seen fraudulent emails asking myGov users to update their information via a QR code, but the code directed users to a fake myGov site designed to steal personal information.
The Australian Taxation Office also reported seeing phishing emails containing QR codes that lead to malicious sites.
Neither myGov nor the Tax Office will ever send you an email or text message containing a QR code. So if you come across a QR code, avoid it at all costs.
Cashless parking meters cause uproar in Australia
Sydney City Council recently angered many people across the region by removing all parking meters and replacing them with cashless ones.
North Sydney City Council has three ways to pay for parking, but the one that was causing the biggest problems was the PayStay app option.
Users reportedly had to provide personal information such as name, email address, phone number, car address, postal code, and credit card details.
In response to inquiries from Yahoo Australia, a city spokesperson said: “We understand that one method doesn’t fit all,” adding that the new parking system would “make it easier for the public to park.” “We hope to be able to provide flexibility in how we want to manage our parking lot.”
However, it also said: “We are aware of the frustrations the community has experienced with the new parking meters and are actively working to resolve them.”
Several Australian councils have implemented various types of QR code technology for parking meters, tickets and receipts.
But Mr Payne questioned why he needed to submit personal information to the council for parking.
“The fact that parking meters require this much additional information is outrageous,” he told Yahoo Finance.
“This is another example of technology being leveraged to collect personal data unnecessarily and profit from its use and, in some cases, sale.”
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