What you need to know about QR code scams and how to stay safe

QR codes skyrocketed in popularity during the touch-free days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and now they're everywhere. From menus to forms and posters, who doesn't like these scannable shortcuts to information and fast, frictionless payments?

Now QR codes also serve a much different purpose: as a tool for scammers.

In December 2023, the Federal Trade Commission warned of a new form of phishing. Appropriately coined quishing, the scam leverages QR codes to trick people into divulging personal information.

Online, scammers send emails containing QR codes that store URLs to malicious websites that a...