
QR codes have become part of everyday life, from restaurant menus to parking meters and concert tickets. But while these black-and-white squares make life more convenient, they also open the door to serious security risks. A growing number of scams are now using a public QR code to trick people into giving away sensitive data or granting hackers direct access to their phones. What looks like a harmless scan could lead to stolen passwords, financial theft, or malware installation. Here’s how criminals exploit this new tactic and what you can do to protect yourself.