One of the main guidelines so that they do not infect your mobile, steal your data, money or harm you in any way through QR codes is not to scan certain codes that can put you in danger.
These are all those in which you will find suspicious links , with misspellings, that do not offer any information or that come from unknown sources. Where the QR goes is the key, although you will only know this when you have scanned it.
For this reason, we advise you to have a QR code reader that informs you of the link or file to which it will direct you before doing so so that you can check where it takes you, and thus only enter if it is totally trustworthy, or failing that, resort to Google Lens to learn more about it before scanning it.
Although it all boils down to the fact that you should not scan QR codes that take you to places that could put you in danger , we are going to give you some ideas so that you know more specifically which ones you should not scan in any case.
The billboards that offer you free stuff
If you see posters on the street that offer you free things, raffle gifts, bargains or anything else that may be attractive to you, it can be a hoax in many cases. The same police has recommended some time ago not to read QR from advertising posters that offer succulent discounts, offers, raffles or gifts. If they are from a company, better approach her to inform you about possible promotions.
The same can be applied to QR on Internet pages or any other means that offer you free things or seek to attract your attention in an excessive way. Do not trust.
Those offered by strangers
It may seem hard to believe, but this is a much more frequent deception than you imagine. There are some people who offer their own QR code to a commercial establishment with the excuse that this is how they will accept the payment, when in fact they are issuing it, as is the case, for example, in the famous reverse Bizum scam.
Therefore, if someone offers to pay for the purchase of a second-hand product through QR or tells you to scan a QR under any pretext, do not do it. Ask him to pay you in hand, by PayPal or whatever you prefer, but it is better to lose a possible sale than to be deceived.
You should only scan QR codes from trusted sources and establishments and for a specific purpose that is useful to you, especially when you have no other option, such as to read a restaurant menu or see bus schedules.
The QR of doubtful origin
Any QR that you find on any site of dubious origin can be a danger for you, so, as we have told you, only scan QR from trusted sites and always check the link to which it leads or what it takes us to, before anything else.
Codes that come to you by email, you can see on unreliable websites , they offer you something very tempting, etc. It is very important that you prevent yourself because, although the technology itself is not very dangerous, scanning an unreliable QR can become so.