Cybersecurity & QR
Public Wi-Fi QR codes: what to check in ten seconds
A QR on the café wall is handy — until someone sticks their own on top. The bad news: a fake can look exactly like the original. The good news: checking takes seconds, and it is worth doing every time you are somewhere new.
Three checks before you scan
First: is the code stuck on top of an older one — edges, thickness, glue marks. Second: does the network name match what is printed next to it, letter for letter. Third: after scanning, does the page ask for an email password, a card, or a code from an SMS.
What a fake code is actually after
Not money directly. Usually it wants you on a network controlled by someone else, so they decide what you see next. Sometimes it wants your password typed into a page that only looks like the café’s login.
What to do once connected
Do not open your bank, and do not pay by card on a stranger’s network unless you have to. If a site suddenly asks you to “sign in again”, close it and retype the address yourself. And if the page never mentions the place you are sitting in, that alone is a reason to keep your distance.