1 in 10 people in the Netherlands caught out by QR code scams
By Simone Jacobs
There has been a rise in the number of QR code scams in the Netherlands as QR codes become more popular and convenient. Research by ABN AMRO shows that almost 75 percent of people in the Netherlands don’t know how to use QR codes safely and one in 10 people have been caught out by scams involving QR codes.
Rising number of QR code scams in the Netherlands
A QR code is a 2D barcode, that you can scan with the camera on your mobile phone, which takes you to a website. This is being used more and more often in everyday life, from menus and online shopping to official government letters.
However, criminals are also taking advantage of this convenience. According to ABN AMRO fraud expert Marco Hendriks, it is easy for anyone to create and misuse a QR code. "If it has a familiar logo or the code appears in a letter, it quickly looks trustworthy. Before you know it, you're on a website that looks familiar, but is actually intended to collect data," Hendriks told AD.
QR code scams, also known as quishing, could see people unintentionally handing criminals their personal data, such as their citizen service number (BSN), banking information and address, or even have victims pay money directly from their bank accounts. Dutch police warn residents to be more cautious as these types of scams become more popular.
Almost 75% of people in the Netherlands don’t use QR codes safely
Research by the Dutch bank has revealed that almost 75 percent of people in the Netherlands don’t know how to use QR codes safely, while one in 10 people have fallen for "quishing" scams before, losing money or giving out personal data.
Earlier this year, a QR code scam was circulating in what looked like an official letter about the Netherlands’ digital identification system, DigiD. In these letters, residents were advised to reactivate their accounts using a QR code in the letter, giving criminals access to private information. The police have also issued warnings about quishing scams in other letters, emails and on parking metres.
How to avoid falling for quishing scams
According to Hendriks, the problem isn’t scanning the QR code, but rather what you do once you’re on a fake website. "As long as you click away, nothing happens. Only when you share personal information does it go wrong," he explains.
To protect yourself, it is important to be alert and check the web address before filling out information or redirecting to your banking app, for example. "If it's a banking environment, does it actually say abnamro.nl or rabobank.nl? That check only takes a few seconds and can save you a lot of trouble," said Hendriks.
Scanning a QR code through your official banking app instead of using your phone’s camera app is also safer. You could also use checkjelinkje.nl to be extra cautious, where a QR scanner automatically verifies whether the link from the QR code is safe.
Another tip is to look carefully at the physical QR code sticker. If it’s on a sticker placed over an existing code, on a random flyer or a suspicious letter, then don’t scan it and report it to the company or police.
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Editor for the Netherlands at IamExpat Media. Simone studied Genetics and Zoology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa before moving to the Netherlands, where she has been working as a writer and editor since 2022. One thing she loves more than creating content is consuming it, mainly by reading books by the dozen. Other than being a book dragon, she is also a nature lover and enjoys hiking and animal training. Read more