The latest scam - stick a sticker on a QR code

**Clinton** · December 27th, 2011, 02:40 PM

Some of the threats for the coming year are lower-tech....QR codes typically appear on posters. Once scanned with a mobile phone and opened with a QR reader, app users can get access to a range of content.

Train stations, for example, use QR codes to allow passengers to download timetables.

But cybercriminals are exploiting their popularity by placing their own stickers on top of the QR codes to take people to more nefarious sites

You've got to admire the simplicity!

What an easy way to inflate traffic before selling your site!

**JJMcClure** · December 28th, 2011, 05:04 AM

Nice idea but surely such misled and untargeted traffic would bounce and a really high bounce rate wouldn't help you sell a site?

**tke71709** · December 28th, 2011, 07:08 AM

Force a certain percentage to a second page, then they wouldn't show up as bounces.

I doubt anyone would use this technique to boost pageviews/visitors to a site before selling it when there are so many more profitable evil ways to use it.

**benitez17** · December 28th, 2011, 07:16 AM

Originally Posted by tke71709

Force a certain percentage to a second page, then they wouldn't show up as bounces.

I doubt anyone would use this technique to boost pageviews/visitors to a site before selling it when there are so many more profitable evil ways to use it.

Like sending people to a site with malware on it.

Whoever came up with that idea is really bright, it's too bad they decided to use that intelligence to rip off unsuspecting people.

**grynge** · December 28th, 2011, 07:20 AM

Don't know if the rest of the world has it happening but here it is quite common for people to buy a cheap item that a store sells, scan the barcode, print a sticker of it and put that sticker on a dearer item and then purchase it through unsuspecting checkout operators.

**tke71709** · December 28th, 2011, 09:06 AM

Originally Posted by grynge

Don't know if the rest of the world has it happening but here it is quite common for people to buy a cheap item that a store sells, scan the barcode, print a sticker of it and put that sticker on a dearer item and then purchase it through unsuspecting checkout operators.

Home Depot lost a few million to two guys doing that.

They would buy an item that was extremely similar to another higher priced item, put the more expensive bar code on the box, return it and get a refund for the higher priced item pocketing the difference.

**grynge** · December 28th, 2011, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by tke71709

Home Depot lost a few million to two guys doing that.

They would buy an item that was extremely similar to another higher priced item, put the more expensive bar code on the box, return it and get a refund for the higher priced item pocketing the difference.

I hadn't heard of anyone returning items but yeah buying them or returning them either way you can make/save money by that scam. The new QR code is probably going to get a lot of different uses for scams, probably can't wait for the first company to run a competition only to have the theives ruin it by making their own QR codes.

**KenW3** · December 31st, 2011, 02:03 AM

There have been a number of articles on the net warning people about Quick Response (QR) codes. It seems the open-source Android OS for QR codes is vulnerable.

Fake codes can end up loading malware into your phone. Some of the malware has been found to copy personal information, send expensive text messages, and redirect to problem web sites.

**Clinton** · January 2nd, 2012, 09:12 AM

But it looks like they are here to stay. A good primer on everything QR related: here. I learned a lot of interesting new facts from that article.

**TeamFreedom** · March 3rd, 2012, 11:33 AM

If I see the word QR Code, I run away. The latest & greatest is using it on Cost Per Action Marketing. People have the scan set up to where the person scans it in with the hopes that they will be qualified to have a steak dinner or a potential iPad.

I won't lie, I had gotten into the hype because the Affiliate Manager convinced me that I was totally in the clear and I would bank using the traffic resources I had at the time. I remember when my CPA account was at $47,000. Yes, that much because at the time. I lived in a VERY populated college town where "Free was king"

I was beyond thrilled to see that all those kids I paid to place these fliers around town was paying off. Enthralled because I remember thinking, wow I only spent about $1,500 in this. Well I contact the A.M and he proceeds to lead me on for a few days. Had to fill all this stuff out, etc. He had to be sure to wash out the bad leads, readjust this, readjust that. Then the day of the payout.

*BOOM* He says, "Hey, you did great. I am glad to have you on board but I guess the advertiser isn't going to pay." I was like, say what? Then the big bad bomb drop, I look into this CPA network's history. He has basically ran off with everyone's money that was made for him. For the advertisers. It was an incredibly low blow & it hurt.

QR Codes can be used for some great tactics that are clean, I think. I used them when I was practicing. In the paper, I would have a code to scan that would lead the perp to the specific site. It was targeted, no one else except for those few stragglers would scan it. I think they are excellent tools if utilized the proper way.

Other ways to pump up traffic to your site or offer bogus freebies is junk. Whenever I do see them, I tend to take them down.