Imagine you find a QR code in a parking lot, on a flyer, or in an email—and it looks legitimate. But when you scan it, you end up on a fake website, maybe entering your bank info or downloading malware. That’s exactly what's happening with the growing wave of “quishing” scams, where criminals hide harmful links in QR codes to trick unsuspecting people.
As reported by BGR, recent data from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission shows quishing attacks have surged in 2025, with criminals placing fake QR code stickers over real ones in public places or sending malicious codes via messages. These scams are simple yet effective: a scan redirects you to a spoofed payment site or login page asking for sensitive data.
Unlike clicking a shady hyperlink in an email (where at least you can hover over the link to inspect it), QR codes offer no preview, and mobile browsers often hide the destination until after the tap. That makes it easy for scammers to capture credentials or install malware without triggering standard antivirus tools.
Protecting yourself doesn’t require a tech manual.
Quishing isn’t going away. As QR codes become more embedded in everyday life (from menus to ticketing systems) scammers are always looking for that moment when someone scans without thinking.
Stay cautious, be aware, and when in doubt: don’t scan.
Source: BGR
