Authorities have warned of a new scam using SMS messages impersonating municipal courts to trick users into scanning malicious QR codes. These messages claim recipients owe fines and direct them to fraudulent payment portals, leading to financial loss or data theft. Because QR codes are commonly trusted and widely used on mobile devices, attackers can bypass traditional phishing filters and exploit user urgency. The incident underscores how mobile-first social engineering, especially “quishing”, is becoming a major attack vector, requiring user awareness, verification of sources, and cautious interaction with unsolicited codes or links.
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