QR code scams: How to avoid falling victim to 'Quishing'

Cybersecurity experts are warning about scammers using QR codes to take advantage of unsuspecting victims.

What is a QR code?

Short for "quick response" code, the small barcodes are ubiquitous, getting scanned using a phone's camera to link to restaurant menus, online payment systems or any other digital task.

"We're all familiar with these things," said Jean-Paul Bergeaux, the federal chief technology officer for GuidePoint Security. "The concept is, 'How do we give people a way to get to a link, where they don't have to enter it, to simplify our life,' which it does very well."

How does 'Quishing' work?

Unfortunately, like most things, scammers are finding ways to use QR codes as part of a scam that's known as "Quishing."

"You're just scanning it and hitting it and saying go, and s