"Verifying QR Codes Prior to Scanning"
In the digital age, scammers are constantly finding new ways to trick unsuspecting victims. One such method is Quishing, a form of phishing that uses QR codes to redirect to fake websites. Here's what you need to know to protect your PayPal account from Quishing and similar scams.
Quishing scams rely on the invisibility of the URL within the QR code and the trust you place in the code’s source. Scammers generate QR codes that, when scanned, can potentially lead to unauthorized access to your accounts.
Common warning signs of Quishing include suspicious contexts, technical red flags, and unusual requests or language. Suspicious contexts might include unexpected QR codes, especially in emails from unknown senders, or codes on documents or invoices you weren’t expecting. Technical red flags include URLs previewed from QR codes that do not match the expected domain, shortened URLs such as bit.ly or tinyurl, and urgent messages demanding immediate login or personal information. Unusual requests or language may include emails or messages urging rapid action or promising discounts or special offers to entice quick scanning without thinking.
To protect your PayPal account, you should preview the URL before scanning, avoid scanning QR codes from unknown or unexpected sources, manually navigate to PayPal if a QR code leads you to what appears to be a PayPal login or payment site, look for signs of tampering, use strong unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on your PayPal account, be skeptical of urgent requests, keep software up to date and use security apps, and never scan QR codes of unknown origin, as recommended by the Consumer Advice Centre.
In a Quishing scam, a supposed buyer sends a seller a QR code to authorize a payment. The fake PayPal page looks almost identical to the original but sends entered information directly to the scammers. In one instance, a seller who logged in to the fake PayPal page may have unwittingly authorized several payments totaling over 3,000 euros.
It's important to remember that payment confirmations are rarely requested in Quishing scams. Normally, money should be transferred to an account without a confirmation - an extra payment confirmation is unusual. If someone insists on handling the payment outside the platform, it could be a sign of potential fraud.
Scammers can distribute deceptive QR codes not just via email but also in public places like public transportation, parking meters, or even on fake parking tickets. If you know the original address, you can compare it with the scanned one.
The Consumer Advice Centre Brandenburg (VZB) warns about the risks of Quishing. To extra protect login details, VZB recommends setting up two-factor authentication (2FA) on PayPal.
Stay vigilant and protect your digital assets. Always verify the source and destination of QR codes, especially those claiming to be from financial services like PayPal, to avoid falling victim to Quishing and similar scams.
- The invisibility of URLs within QR codes can be exploited in Quishing scams, posing a risk to your PayPal account if scanned, especially when they come from unknown or suspicious sources.
- To safeguard your PayPal account, always verify the destination URL before scanning QR codes, and be wary of technical red flags such as shortened URLs, urgent messages, or suspicious contexts, as recommended by the Consumer Advice Centre.
