BEWARE OF QR CODE BRUSHING SCAM

BEWARE OF QR CODE BRUSHING SCAM

SCAM SCAM SCAM

***Beware of QR Code Brushing Scam!***

A recent scam has been showing up in many states. We have not had any local reports, but want to make residents aware before you are victimized.

A “brushing” scam is when someone receives an unexpected gift or item not ordered in the mail from a place like Amazon or other company. Examples of gifts include rings, bracelets, necklaces, Bluetooth speaker, etc. The gift will have the recipient’s address, but not include the sender’s information or be from a known retailer. When the recipient opens the package to see what it is and possibly who sent it, there is a QR code to scan to find out who sent the gift.

Once the code is scanned, all the information from that phone will be sent to scammers. They receive all access to the phone. All personal and financial information is accessible to the scammers and often the victim’s bank accounts are drained.

The gift can be kept or thrown away, but the QR code should NOT be scanned for any reason.

QR code scams are nothing new. These scams show up in all places, including posters/ stickers posted in public places, mail, emails, stores, and advertisements. Again, please do not scan any QR codes that you are not are sure to be legitimate.

Please Inform your family and friends about this scam and avoid scanning any unknown QR codes. As always, if you have any questions, concerns, or feel that you or someone you know may have fallen victim to a scam, please contact the Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office at (985) 36-2912.

For additional information concerning this News Release, contact Sheriff Leland Falcon or Public Information Officer, Lonny Cavalier at (985) 498-9353 or (985) 369-2912.