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North Carolina officials are urging consumers to be careful of a new scam involving QR codes.
North Carolina attorney general Josh Stein is warning residents of a QR code scam designed to steal their information. The new scam sees a fraudulent QR code replacing the legitimate code for a business, tricking many consumers into scanning the code that could steal data, install malware, or ask for a payment, WCNC reports.
"Like all popular technology, scammers have looked to take advantage of QR codes to scam others," Stein's office said in a press release on Tuesday (March 1).
To help consumers spot scams, Stein's office offered tips to protect yourself:
- After scanning a QR code, make sure the URL looks authentic. Look for misspelled words or domain names that don't line up with the business name.
- Don't give out your personal information unless you are certain the website is authentic.
- Make sure the QR code hasn't been tampered with. There have been reports of criminals using a sticker to put malicious code on top of a business' code.
- Never download an app or software from a QR code.
If you think you've been the victim of a QR code scam, contact the attorney general's office at 877-NO-SCAM or file an online complaint here.