QR codes with their square barcode regained their popularity when the pandemic began because consumers found them easy to use and businesses did not have to worry about contamination from contact.
Many companies, especially restaurants started using QR or Quick Response codes and swapped them out for menus since customers could scan them from their smartphones within a few seconds. Other industries adopted QR codes for coupons, bills or to learn more information about a topic or person. Coinbase ( (COIN) ), the cryptocurrency exchange platform, even shelled out nearly $14 million for a 30-second Super Bowl commercial in January that only featured a QR code.
As demand for QR codes rose, cybersecurity criminals also noticed the opportunity to steal personal or financial data from a consumer and earn a quick payday.
“Anything consumers will use and trust will eventually be used by hackers,” John Bambenek, principal threat hunter at Netenrich, a San Jose, California-based digital IT and security operations company, told TheStreet. “Criminals will use anything they can to steal a buck.”
Hackers are tampering with QR codes because their use has become widespread and tampering with them is simple, Hank Schless, senior manager, security solutions at Lookout, a San Francisco.-based security service edge provider, told TheStreet. Some contain malicious links embedded with malware so cybercriminals can easily obtain your data such as credit card information or social security…
