LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — QR codes are an everyday essential, but they're also a hacker's dream.

In today's It's Your Money, a local cybersecurity expert weighs in on how to protect yourself from a growing wave of QR code scams, known as quishing.

QR codes began as a quirky novelty during Covid; giving people access to restaurant menus, boarding passes, and things like parking payments. Paul Keener, cybersecurity strategist at Guidepoint, says QR codes were designed for convenience — not security; and that's opened the door for criminals. Keener says, "It's very difficult for someone to look at a QR code and say that's not legitimate."

The FBI reported 16 billion dollars in losses last year from scams. Keener says about a quarter of those involved QR codes.

It's part of a growing trend called

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