We knew about Phishing, this technique aimed at recovering our personal data. Now for a new scam called Quishing! What is it and how can you protect yourself from it?
A new malicious technique used by hackers is becoming rampant, cybersecurity experts warn. If we have been made aware in recent years of the phishing technique, which consists of usurping the identity of an official organization such as an online bank, a government site such as Caf or taxes, with the aim of stealing our personal data and defraud us, a whole new scam is emerging. It’s about Quishing, in other words: the QR Code scam. But what exactly is it and how can you protect yourself from it?
The difference with Quishing is that a hacker will give you a QR code to scan. You may receive it by SMS or email, but not only that! In fact, these small barcodes to scan with our mobile phones are found almost everywhere in the streets, in restaurants, in advertising campaigns or on public transport. By scanning them, our smartphone immediately sends us to an internet page which allows us to obtain more information or simply to access the menu.
A practical and fashionable tool, which now makes us suspicious. Because hackers take advantage of this to refer users to malicious software. This new phishing technique then allows them to obtain information which will then allow them to identify themselves in your place. The risk: that they will steal your money from your online bank account, for example.
You should therefore be extra vigilant, especially when you receive an email containing a QR code. As with phishing and any other online scam risk, remember to check the origin of the email, its address, and whether there are spelling mistakes. There is also a QR code scanner which allows you to display a page before deciding whether or not to continue browsing.