Be Careful of Identity Theft Due to Christmas QR Code Scam

The Mecosta County Sheriff is alerting people about a new scam that has surfaced. 

The holidays are here, and with them comes the expected Grinch, who emerges from the depths of the internet with new methods to scam unsuspecting people.

Most of us have heard about the Grinch who stole Christmas; he sneaks in like a burglar at night, snatching gifts from unsuspecting children and adults.

But have you heard about the Grinch who brings gifts? Probably not, and before you give someone the benefit of the doubt and believe they've had a miraculous change of heart, think again; it's a fraud.

Christmas QR code scam might lead to identity theft

"Scammers send products to people's homes without a return address, so they can't return them and don't know who sent them," said Better Business Bureau community manager Katie Grevious. 

"Scammers have added a very fun new twist with the popularity of QR codes. Scammers are now inserting a sheet of paper with a QR code in the package without identifying the sender. People who want to know who sent the package will scan the QR code.

And if you scan that code, you might get in trouble.

"They may have complete access to your device. So any payment information, financial information, or personally identifying information kept on that device might be hacked," explained Grevious. "So you want to make sure that you're not scanning those links."

More to explore: A New QR Code Rental Scam