Infectious QR Codes

Several months ago we discussed getting in on the QR Craze and what that’s all about. Today, however, we wish to issue a friendly warning; that is, not all QR Codes are perfectly safe for your mobile device.

Kaspersky Lab, an authority on tech security, has announced the first cases of infectious QR Codes and tampering. In Russia, users thought they were downloading an Android app called “Jimm,” when in reality, the app requrested an SMS codes to an unknown number that charged the user for each message. Even though setting up these types of numbers is more tricky for cyberhackers in the United States, it is likely that this will become a bigger problem in the near future.

We don’t want to discourage overall use of QR Codes, because they can do a great amount of good. Using QR Codes as a strategic marketing internet solution can be a beneficial source of lead generation for your company. However, there is no need to worry about scanning QR Codes right now. Researchers at McAffee say that with a harmful app, there is an interim step that requests SMS. If this happens, DO NOT enter any information or “okay” the transaction. This could only harm your mobile device.