Scams Squared

Whether you know them as QR codes or “that square thingy for looking at menus,” you’ve very likely used one a number of times.

Most of these QR (Quick Reference) codes are 100% safe and helpful, but some of them are amongst the most insidious hacks developed to date.

Here are just a few real-world examples of how they’ve been weaponized:

• This summer, scammers in Ottawa put QR stickers on parking machines, getting people to pay them instead of the city and compromising their credit cards.
• Scammers will drop a package you didn’t order at your door, and the QR code for returns takes you to a site requesting personal info.
• They’ll even send emails pretending they’re from DHC with enticing subjects like “Changes to Benefits” or “Payroll error” with a QR code for more information

Scammers prey on our emotions and circumstances. When we’re hurried, happy, or nervous, there’s a tendency to act first and think later.

Cybersecurity Exercise Oct. 15

Think Twice
To help us learn to spot the scams, the IT department periodically sends us an email that imitates a cyberattack. Here’s one you may have seen on Oct. 15.

Did you scan it? If you did, here are the signals that it’s not a legitimate email:

1. The Security Notice banner urges caution.
2. The email is from socialcommittee@corp-internal.com, which is not a DHC address.

How do we stay safe?
When you see a QR code in a dehavilland.com email, or you see one posted at our locations where you need a badge to gain access, those are safe. But when it’s not a DHC email or poster… beware.  

The attachment below has a couple ways to keep you safe from nasty QRs at work and at home.