Apple Valley Police Department Warns Of QR Scams

APPLE VALLEY, MN — Apple Valley Police Department recently warned residents of an increase in QR code scams.

Cyber criminals have been creating their own QR codes to trick people into giving out their personal and banking information, police said.

Scanning the fake QR codes won't download malware onto your phone but it will bring you to a fake website to try and get your personal information, according to police.

The Apple Valley Police Department shared these tips to avoid being scammed:

1. Think before you scan – be weary of QR codes posted in public places. Make sure they are actually part of the advertising. If the QR code doesn’t look like it fits in with the background, it is probably fake.

2. When you scan a QR code, take a good look at the website. Does it look legit? If it asks for login or banking information that doesn’t seem to be needed, do not give that information out.

3. QR codes embedded in emails are almost always a bad idea. Why would an email you are looking at on your computer or smart device ask you to scan a code, rather than click on a link? The same goes for QR codes you receive in junk mail.

4. Preview the QR code’s URL. Most cell phones will give you a preview of the URL as you start to scan it. If the URL looks suspicious, that’s a red flag that the site may be fictitious.

5. Consider using a secure scanner app which is designed to spot malicious links before your phone opens them. Beware there are some malicious QR scanning apps designed to obtain user information out there as well. Stick to well-known security companies’ apps.

6. Use a password manager. If a QR code takes you to an especially convincing fake website, a password manager will know the difference and won’t autofill your passwords.