By Kotie Geldenhuys
Photos/images courtesy of Magnific, Unsplash and Pexels
You point your phone at a QR code to scan: A menu appears; a parking payment page opens; a delivery notice takes you to a familiar-looking website. Everything seems fine, but it is not. This seemingly harmless black-and-white square of pixels may be the entry point for a scam aimed at stealing your credentials, passwords or personal data. As more QR codes enter our daily lives, cybercriminals are taking advantage of the trust we have in systems created for our convenience. This threat has a name: It is called quishing.
QR codes have become a common feature in our daily lives – on restaurant tables, in public displays, e-mails, mailers, payment pages and even boarding passes. The use of QR codes became even more popular during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling contactless menus and digital services. Ever since, QR codes have emerged as payment gateways, for authentication and to access other digital services.
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[This is only an extract of an article published in Servamus: October 2026. This article is available for purchase.]