Recently Malwarebytes Labs researchers have been seeing quite a few phishing campaigns using QR codes in email attachments. The lure and the targets are varied, but the use of a QR code to get someone to visit the phishing site is fast becoming a preferred method for cybercriminals.
There are several reasons why cybercriminals might want to use QR codes:
- The QR code is likely to be scanned with a phone, which are often less well protected against malicious websites or even completely unprotected.
- Phones are also likely personal devices which provide attackers with a direct path to sensitive personal accounts. For example, banking apps will be often be installed on the same device.
Read more…
Source: Malwarebytes Labs
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