Cast your mind back to the COVID-19 era – you’ll remember that when restaurants re-opened, there was a great deal of anxiety around anybody touching anything.

Of course, an item that passed from hand-to-hand countless times a day was… a menu. Physical menus can’t be sanitised easily, so we saw a proliferation of QR codes on display in restaurants – which allowed us to quickly see the menu displayed on our phone screen via a webpage.

QR 101 – what’s a QR code & how does it work?

QR codes are those weird black and white “patterned squares” that you may have noticed all over the place. There’s a tiny one on the back of the menu in the picture up above.

Originally you needed a special app on your phone to interpret the code, but now most phones do so automatically when you point your camera lens at it.

QR codes are simply shortcuts to specific internet sites.

Your phone scans the pattern of the code and takes you straight to the webpage that was associated with that code when it was created.

I’m sure you have spotted the potential problem there…

Yes, a QR code is yet another way of presenting you with a link to click on.

Anyone with internet access and a grain of knowledge can create a QR code with ease because there are plenty of (free) QR code generator services available online.

As a result, it’s no surprise that con-artists have cottoned on to this method of sending you to their own specially designed webpage.

It’s phishing all over again, they’re simply using a different hook!

Once they get you to their chosen webpage, it’s time for scammers’ business-as-usual, with the usual menu of options, depending on what their strategy is on the day. They might want to install malware on your device, clone it, access your passwords, or steal other important credentials and sensitive information.

Where are a few places you might find QR codes in use?

• In coffee shops and restaurants as links to digital menus
• On product posters and advertising materials (for example, I’ve seen them in Woolies window displays)
• Estate agent advertisements, taking you to a full description of a property on offer
• Used for making mobile payments (via SnapScan or Zapper, for instance)
• Offering you public Wi-Fi access
• For new phone application downloads

Once you start looking out for them, you’ll notice that they are everywhere!

Hang on though – should all QR codes be considered dodgy?

Of course, the majority of QR codes out there are legitimate and useful, linking you quickly to relevant information to help you navigate your world.

Unfortunately, the actions of a few unsavoury characters have made it necessary to be extra vigilant before scanning a QR code.

What to watch out for.

A common tactic is for a scammer to stick their own code over the top of the legitimate one. So, in a public place – such as a restaurant – check carefully to see if a new code has been stuck on top of the original one.

Similarly, if you receive a QR code in an email, you might want to think twice.

Some service providers, particularly medical service providers, now include a QR code for a payment app such as SnapScan. If you are using a specific app which is already installed on your phone and in regular use, all should be well.

If not, treat such a code with the same suspicion you would any other link in an email – don’t access it.

A bit of extra typing is all it takes to stay safe.

As we mentioned before, a QR code is simply a shortcut to a webpage. So, the easy way to keep yourself safe is to simply type the webpage URL into your browser window and go directly to the website. For example, if you want to access the menu of your favourite coffee shop, you can Google your coffee shop, navigate to the menu on their website, and open it in the web browser on your phone. It’s that simple, and while it’s slightly more time-consuming to do it yourself, you’ll save yourself the inconvenience and stress of securing your bank details yet again.

In summary

If you have been slow to adopt the use of QR codes, you’re in good company and you may have done yourself a favour.

If you’re a fan of QR code snapping, now is the time to stay alert and apply good judgement.

If a “special offer” is only accessible via that pesky QR code and it seems too good to be true, it probably is. 😀

Wherever possible either use Google to find the website that you want, or take a few extra moments to key the webpage address into your browser window and navigate directly to the website in question.