With the rapid technological advancements, many businesses and individuals follow when interacting and transferring sensitive information to their intended audience, the threat these advances can give to people also increases.
As QR codes are now taking new heights of contactless sharing and receiving helpful information from people, scammers today are now using one to phish sensitive data from people and use it for personal gain.
Since most scammers today are now using QR codes for their gain, the need to take precautionary measures when scanning QR codes escalates.
With hundreds of QR codes being placed in areas where information exchange is highly anticipated, discerning genuine QR codes from the ones made by scammers can be a challenging pursuit that many people struggle with and tend to hand over their information to suspicious ones.
To help people from handing over their sensitive information to scammers, tech-savvy netizens compile a series of QR code scanning precautions that can help people from being the scammers’ next victim during their QR scamming heists.
Aside from knowing the origination of the QR code most businesses and established entities use, they need to know what QR code generator they should rely on and entrust their data.
How to avoid any QR code scams and protect your data?
There are various QR code scanning preventive means digital users can employ when scanning QR codes and as a way to ensure their safety before, during, and after scanning the code.
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Get a secured antivirus software in your scanning device
Since most users today use android devices to scan QR codes placed in establishments and checkout booths, the security most of these devices hold is somewhat generic and easy to compromise.
Because of that, many data-conscious individuals become wary about the information they send and receive from unknown sources.
To ease the troubled feelings most Android users experience when scanning QR codes in any area, tech-savvy data security individuals recommend the users to add an extra layer of protection by downloading antivirus software to the device.
- Always ask the person in charge if their QR code is secured and regularly checked
As most QR code scams operate in means where they replace the original establishment QR codes, it is essential for a passerby or customer planning to view the data it covers outside or inside the establishments where busy people come and go to ask the person in charge if the QR code placed is regularly checked and maintained.
By making this simple gesture, you can simply protect yourself from falling prey to the QR scammers’ endeavors. In addition, if the establishment integrates a password-protected QR code to hold essential data for their customers, you can directly ask the staff about the password it contains.
- Discern the website you are directed to
If you happen to accidentally scan the QR code that gets your attention to learn more about the campaign you are curious about, the next step that you need to
- Know if the QR code generator used is trustworthy and maintained by real people
Since most people can easily create a QR code and store essential information thanks to the wide availability of QR code generators online, the issue in trusting which QR code generator to use and make QR codes increases.
As it is easy to search and randomly choose the QR code maker to store data and make it into a QR code, most users unknowingly give out their sensitive information without checking the website’s credibility.
You can determine a QR code generator with logo as trustworthy if it has up-to-date SSL security, is accredited by the international information security standard, and has a responsive customer support hotline.
- Be attentive to the tiny details integrated into the QR code poster
A scam takes place when the target individual gives in to the project or situational propositions a scammer gives to them. As most of their projects are can be as genuine as the original ones, being attentive to small details a scammer provides to them is something that one should possess before giving in and scanning the QR code they provide.
One thing they can check when scanning a branded QR code campaign is to pay attention to the placement of the elements in the poster or website and find any clerical or design errors. If it holds some mistakes, you can report the QR code to the authorities and let them take it down to avoid additional data breaches.
Conclusion:
With the benefits modern technology can give people today, the threats it can provide to them can be alarming. Because of that, many users are now using QR codes to send and receive data from offline and digital posters.
And as they seem to be secured means to unpack essential data for their target audience, scammers are now integrating its use to fool many into scanning and collecting their information.
As they become rampant today, being vigilant in the QR codes you scan is one thing you can integrate when scanning one and apply the ways mentioned earlier to avoid falling prey to today’s QR code scamming.
