1 in 4 Americans estimated to fall victim to QR code scam this summer: Report
TAMPA, Fla. - Nowadays, scanning QR codes has become the norm whether you're paying for parking or ordering at a restaurant.
But, beware the convenience of it is making it a lot of easy for scammers to get your money and information.
READ: 2 killed after leaving bar in Bartow and taking 'joyride': PCSO
In this day and age, tech expert Anthony Mongeluzo says many people have become too trustworthy when it comes to technology, and as a result, scammers have been able to take advantage. It's partly why a new report from McAfee predicts that 1 in 4 Americans will fall victim to these types of scams during this summer travel season.
If you're traveling this summer with a smartphone, chances are you'll be prompted to use your camera at some point to scan QR or quick response codes, but in some cases what you're scanning may not be what you think.
"Scanning QR codes can be very dangerous because they're QR codes and people typically trust them," tech expert and President of PCS Anthony Mongeluzo said.
As Mongeluzo explains, in some cases scammers will target QR codes that prompt for a payment like placing an order at a restaurant or paying for public parking.
That's what happened in Baltimore in February when city officials discovered someone had placed stickers on parking meters with a QR code and a message that reads ‘Scan to pay,’ which directed drivers to a fraudulent website where they were prompted to enter their payment information.
SIGN UP: Click here to sign up for the FOX 13 daily newsletter
"Hackers do not let convenient technology go to waste for them. For instance, your local bank might have a QR code to scan and download a banking app. Well, maybe one night someone that's not so nice will go there and put a new sticker over top of the bank's one," Mongeluzo said.
In those cases, Mongeluzo says while you're not prompted to pay for anything just by scanning the code and hitting the link attached to it could allow scammers to install malware on your phone to steal your personal information.
"Most people when they scan the code they do not look at the website and verify that it's the actual website. Essentially what happens is they're leveraging the trust of a physical building," Mongeluzo said.
So how can you best stay safe? Mongeluzo says in most cases the QR code is mere convenience meaning you can still access the same website and type the information in yourself.
As for the companies using QR codes, Mongeluzo says they should check them daily to make sure scammers haven't tampered with them.
"Remember this a QR code does not do anything special for you. You do not need to scan that QR code. You could open up your web browser and type the information in," Mongeluzo said.
If you believe you may have fallen victim to any type of QR code scam you're encouraged to report it here. You can also report it to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.