{
  "id": 2767313,
  "title": "QR codes being used to exploit people as reports of scam grow",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/qr-codes-being-used-to-exploit-people-as-reports-of-scam-grow",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-23T06:23:54.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC News",
    "slug": "bbc-news",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyjqg578e1o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "QR codes have become increasingly popular, but their widespread use has also made them a target for scammers, with reports of QR code-related scams surging by 700% in the last four years. When Les Howard, a 61-year-old from Widnes, couldn't find change for parking at a car park in Caernarfon, North Wales, a QR code on the meter appeared to offer an easy solution. However, Howard quickly realized he had fallen victim to a scam after receiving notifications of £1 and later £60 being taken from his bank account. The council responsible for the car park denied using QR codes for parking payments and stated that they had removed two fake QR code stickers from its facilities in the past year. Criminals have been exploiting QR codes in various ways, such as disguising suspicious links in emails, gaining access to victims' messaging apps, and convincing people to download fraudulent apps to steal their money and data. Experts advise using the QR scanner built into your phone instead of downloading separate apps to avoid falling victim to these scams.",
  "summary": "Scammers set up a monthly subscription of £60 from Les Howard's account after he downloaded an app.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}