Organised gangs behind rise in QR 'quishing' scams

Summary

QR code 'quishing' scams up 14-fold in five yearsJoanna MorrisBBC Shared Data UnitBBCCouncils across the country have issued warnings about fake QR codes in car parksOrganised crime gangs are behind a sharp rise in scams linked to fraudulent QR codes, experts say.The national fraud reporting centre Action Fraud received 1,386 reports of people being targeted last year, compared with 100 in 2019.Contactless payment hotspots - like parking meters and restaurant menus - are common targets of criminals who stick their own QR codes on signage.Katherine Hart, lead officer at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said: "We've seen huge amounts lost this way. People have seen their life savings gone and that money is going to finance criminals."She said quishing was significantly under-reported and presented a "huge challenge" to authorities globally.'Hierarchy of criminals'Fraudulent and misleading codes have also been spotted on parcels, in emails and on television.People who scan them using mobile phones and other electronic devices are directed to websites controlled by the scammers and tricked into handing over data such as bank details.Ms Hart said some of those placing the codes were likely to be at the bottom of a hierarchy of organised criminals and may not be aware of the implications of their actions.Action Fraud statistics obtained by the BBC's Shared Data Unit suggest a rapid growth in this kind of scam, with recorded incidents more than doubling in the UK between 2023 and 2024.Over the past five years, Action Fraud received almost 3,000 reports in total, with a fifth of those linked to the Metropolitan Police force area.Milton HaworthMilton Haworth has refused to use another QR code since falling victim to scammersMilton Haworth used his mobile phone to scan a QR code at a council-run car park in Castleford, West Yorkshire.It directed him to download an unauthorised app, from which he agreed a 90p fee to verify bank details.But instead of paying to park, ...