LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel extends the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) alert on QR code hijacking.
We’re told criminals are sticking malicious QR codes on top of legitimate ones. The fake codes take users to phishing sites that may steal one's personal information.
“QR codes are widely used in so many different ways that it’s not surprising bad actors would develop the means to use them to scam us,” says Nessel. “This is another area where we need to protect our personal and financial information by practicing caution when using these convenient codes.”
The state explains the codes aren’t dangerous by themselves, but they might:
- Lead to websites that steal personal information when entered.
- Download malware, ransomware and trojan viruses to your device.
- Open your financial apps, email accounts and social media pages to send messages to loved ones.
- Be present in phishing emails; security software cannot detect fraudulent QR codes like they can with links and attachments.
Those who may have been victimized by fraudulent QR codes are instructed to file a report with the nearest FBI field office, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, and the attorney general’s office.
Visit the state of Michigan’s website for more information.
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