Your phone buzzes. A text message pops up saying you have an outstanding traffic violation, and if you scan the attached QR code immediately, you can pay a $6.99 balance and avoid a court appearance.
Texting scams are exploding. In 2024 alone, U.S. consumers lost $470 million to them, according to the Federal Trade Commission, a number more than five times what it was just four years earlier. To ...
Scanning QR codes is easy when they're located on ads or the TV, but you may have wondered how to do so when the code is already on your phone's screen.