Warning of quishing: fraud stitch with fake QR codes in the Harz!

Warning of quishing: fraud stitch with fake QR codes in the Harz!

Bad Harzburg, Deutschland - The Harz is very popular with residents, holidaymakers and day trippers. But this joy could be endangered by a new fraud. In the cities of Bad Harzburg and Goslar, the local police authorities warn of a fraudulent stitch that strikes especially in parking spaces. More and more cities have introduced parking via app to facilitate everyday parking. In the meantime, the parking machines have also been targeted by criminals, which operate with fake QR-Codes, such as news38.de

The fraudsters overlook the original QR codes on the machines simply with deception. If you scan this manipulated code, you get to a fake website that queries personal data such as credit card number and vehicle license plate. An example of this is already known incidents in cities such as Hannover, Celle and also Cologne. This stitch, which is referred to as "quishing", combines the worlds of QR codes and phishing and is more difficult to recognize as classic methods because it looks completely harmless at first glance, so rnd.de

How does the fraud work?

The process is extremely simple and effective:

• A fake QR code is glued via the original code.
• The user is directed to a fraudulent website by a scan.
• There he unknowingly gives sensitive information.
• The money is then debited immediately.

A particularly bad case recently reported on a driver in Goslar who lost a four-digit sum after scanning a QR code, as well as Computerbild.de confirmed. In order to be immune to such incidents in the future, the police recommend that you always be skeptical about stickers on parking machines and to keep an eye on the stickers in particular.

protective measures and behavioral recommendations

What can you do to protect yourself? The police and security experts advise the following precautions:

• Open the park app manually and do not scan QR codes directly.
• Use apps only from official app stores.
• if possible, use cash.
• Deactivate the automatic opening of QR codes in your camera app.
• Use special QR scanners that display the destination address before opening.

If you are still the victim of a quishing attack, you are asked quickly: If you immediately block your credit card via the central blocking emergency call (116 116), inform your bank and file a complaint with the police. It is also advisable to monitor your account on unauthorized debit to avert further damage.

The police are currently carrying out controls to parking machines and secures suspicious QR stickers. It remains to be seen how effective these measures are in the long term. In the age of digitization and smartphone apps, it is essential to remain vigilant and to be aware of the dangers.