As genuine businesses use QR codes extensively for anything from Super Bowl commercials to enforcing parking fines, scammers have slipped in to use the technology for their nefarious ends.
Using a QR code to complete a “survey” at a bubble tea business reportedly cost a woman in Singapore $20,000, while incidents of false parking tickets using QR codes that target drivers have been reported in the U.S. and the U.K.
A woman from Singapore lost $20,000 to a sneaky con after stopping by a bubble tea business.
The anonymous 60-year-old woman noticed a sticker on the glass door of the bubble tea establishment urging customers to scan a QR code and complete a survey in exchange for a “free cup of milk tea.”
Given that loyalty and rewards programs frequently promote such deals and use QR codes, this may not raise any red flags for the typical consumer or even one who is technically knowledgeable.
She was about to go to bed when her phone suddenly lit up. She downloaded a fake “survey” app, and it stole $20,000 from her bank account.
The victim’s story was shared with the local media by Mr. Beaver Chua, head of anti-fraud at OCBC Bank’s global financial crime compliance department, who deems the scheme particularly “insidious.”
The fraudster then records any login information that the victim enters throughout the day while passively monitoring how they utilize their mobile banking app.
