The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has warned Nigerians to exercise caution when scanning QR codes due to the surge in fraudulent activities orchestrated by scammers.
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In the advisory post, which was made on the agency’s official X account, the agency highlighted the alarming trend of malicious individuals exploiting QR codes for various fraudulent schemes, including phishing scams, payment fraud, data theft, and identity theft.
QR codes, commonly recognised as machine-readable codes composed of black and white squares, are typically used for storing URLs or other information accessible by smartphone cameras.
The post advised Nigerians to remain vigilant and implement necessary precautions before scanning QR codes to mitigate the risk of falling victim to cyber scammers.
“The implications of these codes on users vary depending on the approach taken by the Scammer Impact QR codes, which can be exploited by malicious actors to deceive unsuspecting users and perpetrate fraudulent activities,” they stated.
NITDA revealed that fraudsters deployed multifaceted methods to perpetrate their illicit activities through QR codes.
“Phishing scammers can generate QR codes that point to malicious applications or phishing websites. Users scan these codes, thinking they are genuine, and end up having their information stolen.
“Users’ personal information, including names, addresses, and contact details, can be collected using QR codes inserted in fake advertisements or online surveys. This information can then be exploited for identity theft or other targeted frauds,” the advisory stated.
The agency said it is important to verify the legitimacy of QR codes and associated links before proceeding with scanning.
Furthermore, NITDA recommended the use of reputable QR code scanning apps equipped with built-in security features.
The agency suggested keeping devices updated with the latest antivirus software and security patches to boost the protection of QR code users against potential cyber threats.
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