Scanning the menu with a QR code in bars and restaurants has become common since the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Although it seemed like a temporary measure, many have maintained this system. And it’s not always a good idea. Scanning the QR code to see the letter can be more dangerous than you think.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain and around the world, bars and restaurants have opted for the digital format of menus. Born as a method in which to touch less something that has been in contact with other people, it has become commonplace and many now do without the classic physical letter.
The method is simple and you have surely used it many times: a sticker with a QR code on the table or on any point of the premises that you must scan with the camera of your mobile phone and it will take you to a web page or online document where you can See what the menu is and consult all the details of the menu. But it can be a problem and has many more risks than you think…
Why it can be a problem
What happens with this method? We don’t know what is in the QR code until we have scanned it. If the waiter is the one who gives you the code when you arrive, on a laminated document or any other type of support, we would not have any problem when opening it. The same thing happens when it comes to posters posted in the restaurant’s large premises, such as a QR code on a column so that everyone can scan it, for example. But things change when it comes to stickers on the tables…
If the QR code stickers are on the table of the bar or restaurant you have sat at, this can have many risks. Although it will not always be a problem, many people take advantage of our trust in this type of code to change the sticker that we find on the bar table or place a new one on top. A fake QR code that is placed on top and that we scan with complete peace of mind believing that it is the letter. But it is not, it is a counterfeit code that is intended to access our phone and use our data when we have already scanned it.
How can we protect ourselves
How can we protect ourselves and avoid falling into this? The Police have already warned this in one of her videos on TikTok in which they indicate that what we should always do is make sure that the code is the original and there is no sticker on it. Although we cannot always be sure, we can ask or consult those responsible for the establishment if we have doubts or distrust.
One of the best options is to choose QR code reading tools that identify the URL it leads to before taking us to it. We will be able to see the URL before deciding whether we want to enter or not, depending on whether we find it reliable or whether we believe that the final address has nothing to do with a menu or a letter.
@police Attention with the #QRcodes 👀 #police #tips #security #learnentiktok
In addition, it is important that we follow a series of basic security methods once we have scanned the QR code. Never fill out a form or give your personal information if, when you scan it, the website asks for it. Be wary of all types of pages that ask you for information or that ask you to download something and never pay anything from the website or enter your bank details.
