Fraudulent QR codes exposed: police warn in Bad Harzburg!

Fraudulent QR codes exposed: police warn in Bad Harzburg!

In Bad Harzburg, the police became aware of manipulated parking machines. At several locations in the city, QR codes were discovered that cover the original codes of the machines. These fake stickers are obviously part of an attempt to fraud, as the police confirmed. The message is clear: the population should be particularly careful when using the parking machines and carefully check the QR codes before payments. Such machinations are not new; The phenomenon is referred to as "quishing" and has expanded in recent months.

according to regionalheute.de The fake QR codes that are professionally designed and the design of known payment services such as Easypark were removed. The police have initiated investigations and asks witnesses to provide information on suspicious observations. Citizens who were near these machines or have discovered other suspicious machines should report immediately.

Caution when paying

fraudsters use this method to get sensitive credit card data unnoticed. The fake QR codes usually lead to fake websites that operate with the name of Easypark. "Schmarotzer" offer a non-existent immediate payment process, which is supposed to pull the money out of potential victims. Similar incidents have recently been reported in Lower Saxony as well as in Cologne and Dortmund, with at least 90 affected machines registered in Dortmund alone on the last weekend in January. This shows that the fraud stitch has now gained a foothold throughout Germany, as ADAC reports.

The police and consumer organizations urge this fraud attempts. "Quishing" combines QR codes and phishing and represents a new threat. Safety experts advise you to use cash or credit cards for payments via parking machines and download the park apps directly from the app store instead of paying via QR codes.

tips for avoiding fraud

according to [hessenschau.de] (https://www.hessenschau.de/panorama/betrug-mit-qr-codes-polize-warnt-v1, fraud-masching-100.html) there are some simple tips to protect yourself from quishing:

• Do not scan QR codes from unknown sources.
• Check the URL for suspicious characters.
• Trust QR codes from official sources.
• Use security software on smartphones.
• Be skeptical of payment requests and do not enter any sensitive data before the page has been checked.

The warning of the authorities shows that it is important to stay attentive and, if in doubt, prefer to take a step back before you reveal your card information. It remains to be hoped that such fraud cases can be quickly contained due to increased vigilance and quick reports to the police.