Attention! Japan has erupted in large-scale fake QR Code ( scams.

According to a report by Asahi Shimbun, Japan has become a primary target for QR Code phishing scam groups. When scanning QR Codes, it is essential to pay special attention to whether it is a genuine QR Code or a fake QR Code used by scam groups for phishing. Fake QR Codes are proliferating throughout Japan, and being vigilant when scanning QR Codes can help avoid financial losses.

QR Codes originated in Japan. With the global proliferation of QR Code applications, fraud groups have started targeting the Japanese public, who trust QR Codes the most. According to a survey by Proofpoint Japan, in February of this year, a total of 575 million new types of telecom fraud were discovered worldwide, with 80.2% occurring in Japan, making Japan the world's number one victim of fraud.

The inventor of the QR Code is Japanese.

QR Code 2D barcode ( Quick Response Code ) was invented by Masahiro Hara (, an engineer working in the development department of Denso Corporation in Japan. One day, he was inspired while playing Go and discovered that uniquely arranged patterns could encode information, inadvertently leading to the invention of the QR Code. The earliest application of QR Code was for identifying automotive parts. Today, the QR Code, which originated in Japan, is widely used in various application scenarios, including shopping, bill payments, transfers, earning reward points, and more.

The following shares several common scams involving fake QR codes for your reference and caution.

Phishing technique using a QR Code impersonating a parcel delivery company

A man had just purchased a product online, and while waiting for the package to arrive, he received a fake email from a courier company. The email claimed that his address was incorrect and that the package could not be delivered. It instructed the victim to scan the QR code in the email to register his credit card for the delivery of his package. After following the instructions, the victim suddenly realized that this courier company was not a real courier service. He immediately contacted the credit card company to stop the transaction and discovered that his credit card had been charged for two plane tickets within three minutes, totaling 60,000 yen.

Aichi Prefecture has reported fake QR code rental flyers.

In addition to common email phishing scams, Aichi Prefecture has discovered a large number of fake rental flyers being distributed. In Japan, tenants are accustomed to paying rent by scanning QR Codes. A fraudster created nearly identical rental flyers with counterfeit QR Codes, which he posted everywhere, managing to defraud about 110,000 yen before being arrested.

Fake refund, real scam phishing email

Windfall is a curse, not a fortune! Refund scams are very common. Cybersecurity expert Yukimi Matsuda stated that phishing emails use refunds as bait for scams, instructing recipients to scan a QR Code to receive a refund. Following the instructions in the email ultimately leads to sending money to a scam group, rather than receiving a refund.

The store cash register QR Code has been affixed with a fake one.

Even the QR Codes inside the store may not be reliable. In some countries, there have been incidents where the QR Code payment barcodes next to cash registers were replaced with fake QR Codes. A famous victim in Singapore scanned a barcode for "free bubble tea" and subsequently downloaded an application, leading to approximately 2.22 million yen being stolen from their bank account. This method is not very high-tech; the criminals simply use adhesive to trick people, which can be very effective for customers who are in a hurry to check out. When scanning QR Code payments, it is essential to be cautious and check if the QR Code has been pasted over afterwards.

This article Attention! Japan has erupted in a large-scale fake QR Code ) scam, which first appeared in Chain News ABMedia.