Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Davey Winder is a veteran cybersecurity writer, hacker and analyst. The simple answer, and the one most often provided in online ...

THEY SEEM TO BE JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE. QR CODES OR QUICK RESPONSE CODES ARE SMALL BARCODES THAT WHEN YOU SCAN THEM WITH YOUR PHONE, TAKE YOU JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE. LIKE THIS RANDOM YOUTUBE VIDEO OF ME ...

Scanning a QR code can expose you to identity theft, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Quick-response, or QR codes, which store links and other information and are readable by a smartphone ...

QR codes that were once seen as a convenient shortcut for checking menus or paying bills have increasingly been turned into weapons. Fake delivery texts, counterfeit payment links and malicious codes ...

It's generally best to avoid scanning a QR code of unknown origin, and caution is becoming more important as threats proliferate. Anybody can make a QR code in a matter of seconds using free online ...