Another scam to beware of.

[otherclive]

It seems that using QR codes can in some circumstances lead to you being defrauded.

Thornaby: Woman targeted in £13k train station QR code scam

Rail firm TransPennine Express has since removed QR codes from all of its station car parks.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Jcloughie]

Good warning, many would not know that QR codes can be easily produced, so therefore trust what they see, particularly on what appears to be an official poster.

John

 

[Paullus1959]

There was actually an article on the TV this morning about this new scam where bogus QR codes are being placed over legitimate ones, in particular in car parks. The number of cases reported last year was 90 but it's on the up with over 400 cases reported in 2023.
The recommendation was to take a few moments to examine the QR code to make sure it looks okay and not stuck over something else or not straight. The best option though was to download the relevant parking app or pay over the phone.

 

[otherclive]

There was actually an article on the TV this morning about this new scam where bogus QR codes are being placed over legitimate ones, in particular in car parks. The number of cases reported last year was 90 but it's on the up with over 400 cases reported in 2023.
The recommendation was to take a few moments to examine the QR code to make sure it looks okay and not stuck over something else or not straight. The best option though was to download the relevant parking app or pay over the phone.

It’s somewhat like the ATM scam where a false front can be fixed on it, and it’s almost imperceptible.

 

[Steve1962]

gits!!!…… is the polite answer, the impolite answer involves medieval practices….

 

[Sam Vimes]

The minute QR codes appeared my Shields went up as it was obvious to me that it was going to be abused at some point.

We get told to check that web site addresses look genuine but a QR code is just some random dots - could take you anywhere.

 

[otherclive]

What a coincidence! My wife as she come up to Christmas tends to cash in the Nectar points. So when she arrived back today she said that there's only around £15 in the Nectar account. So she went on line to review that transactions. There were some oddities in mid October. +1 at Enfield Sainsbury's petrol, +1 at Biggleswade Sainsbury's petrol, then -4500 at Biggleswade Sainsbury's petrol.

Account now closed, new card being issued and points renewed. But no idea how that one happened as we only use Nectar at Sainsbury, local Esso and Argos. Still its all corrected now.

 

[Buckman]

Thank you the update on the QR code as we were not aware of it. When we use points at Esso we normally enter the store and present the Nectar card which is on our key ring or phone.

Not sure how to use the QR code to get points or change them for discounts so its seems my non tech approach may have worked in our favour?

 

[otherclive]

Thank you the update on the QR code as we were not aware of it. When we use points at Esso we normally enter the store and present the Nectar card which is on our key ring or phone.

Not sure how to use the QR code to get points or change them for discounts so its seems my non tech approach may have worked in our favour?

It wasn’t the QR scam, this was a cloning of the Nectar card. My wife went into an Esso garage to fill the car up and as per normal offered her nectar card. The next day the card had a 1 point credit transaction at a Sainsbury’s in Enfield. Followed the next day by another single point in Sainsbury’s Biggleswade. Clearly someone was just testing the validity before using it at the Biggleswade Sainsbury for a large fuel purchase. Suspect the garage where she filled up had a parallel reader. Happened to me once with my debit card after a local fill up. Went to use the card in Norfolk shortly afterwards and the card had been used in Canada so the bank put a stop on it.

 

[Buckman]

It wasn’t the QR scam, this was a cloning of the Nectar card. My wife went into an Esso garage to fill the car up and as per normal offered her nectar card. The next day the card had a 1 point credit transaction at a Sainsbury’s in Enfield. Followed the next day by another single point in Sainsbury’s Biggleswade. Clearly someone was just testing the validity before using it at the Biggleswade Sainsbury for a large fuel purchase. Suspect the garage where she filled up had a parallel reader. Happened to me once with my debit card after a local fill up. Went to use the card in Norfolk shortly afterwards and the card had been used in Canada so the bank put a stop on it.

We had something similar last year at an Esso station where I had a payment taken for petrol I never bought! The receipt had the registration number of my previous vehicle which had been traded in two weeks previous and also the tiem of the transaction.

The current vehicle at the time of the transaction was having a tow bar fitted so I was able to prove that it could not have been my vehicle as we only collected the vehicle after 4pm and we had a time on the payment receipt.

Again checking the time of the transaction and checking my email records I was at home. Luckily about the time of the transaction I had sent an email so in the time frame it was impossible for me to be at the garage. Esso refunded me the transaction which was for about £30.

I have no idea how they did it as only used that service station once about 2 - 3 years earlier.

 

[Jcloughie]

I have had remarkably little problems paying by card. But I once used my card to buy an international phone card in 2006. I did this on line. But the following morning I got a call from my issuer, Tesco.

Have I just tried to make a £1200 purchase from a ships chandler just outside Boston US.

Strangely, my phone card purchase was from Boston! They denied responsibility, saying my purchase was fully automated and as it was the weekend, no one would have looked at it yet.

Far far too much of a coincidence in my opinion. And well done to Tesco.

John

 

[Raywood]

I have seen this reported in the papers and I am aware of it, but have never used a QR code to pay for anything and for the time being I will not do this. The giveaway is apparently the fake one will be stuck over the legitimate one but not sure if his is easy to spot particularly if you are rushing for a train.
So far I have resisted for paying for anything by phone but it is getting more difficult.
If it can be done with a QR code I suspect the fraudsters might also be looking at phone numbers to do this so check them as well. At least with them you can check the firms phone number by doing a search first.

 

[Jcloughie]

I have seen this reported in the papers and I am aware of it, but have never used a QR code to pay for anything and for the time being I will not do this. The giveaway is apparently the fake one will be stuck over the legitimate one but not sure if his is easy to spot particularly if you are rushing for a train.
So far I have resisted for paying for anything by phone but it is getting more difficult.
If it can be done with a QR code I suspect the fraudsters might also be looking at phone numbers to do this so check them as well. At least with them you can check the firms phone number by doing a search first.

I may be wrong, but I don’t think people pay just by using a QR code. But the QR code is the link to a fake site that will seek to take your cash. The danger being, because they arrived at the site by using what appeared to be a correct method. they will wrongly trust that site.

A QR code is only a posh bar code.

John

 

[otherclive]

This article describes how a QR code scam works.

PSA: Scammers Are Using Parking Meter QR Codes to Rip You Off

Make sure those high parking fees are going to the city, not scammers.

www.howtogeek.com

 

[Hutch]

Mrs H, today got a call from 0742552575, This is HMRC and you owe us £5000, a few words were exchanged, and HMRC ended the call.

 

[RogerL]

Mrs H, today got a call from 0742552575, This is HMRC and you owe us £5000, a few words were exchanged, and HMRC ended the call.

I got a call today from 07822086294, an American-voiced recorded message purporting to be from the "England Metropolitan Police Department" requesting me to press 9 due to a major incident - I declined!