Rise in QR-Code-Based Phishing Campaigns Targeting Local Businesses
QR-code phishing is rising fast — and local businesses are in the crosshairs
Security analysts are reporting a surge in phishing attacks that use QR codes, both in emails and in physical locations. Because many teams still see QR codes as “harmless,” attackers are quietly using them to harvest employee login credentials.
Introduction
QR codes are now a common part of everyday business, which makes them a perfect tool for cybercriminals. Attackers are placing malicious QR codes in emails and around workplaces to lure employees into fake login pages that steal credentials. As a result, local businesses are facing a new kind of phishing risk that traditional email training often misses.
Why It Matters Now
This threat matters now because QR-based phishing bypasses many of the defenses SMBs rely on. While email filters often catch suspicious links, they cannot see what an employee scans with a phone camera or QR app.
At the same time, employees are used to scanning QR codes for menus, payments, and apps. Therefore, they tend to trust them and click through quickly, especially when codes appear in what look like internal emails or on company flyers. Security research highlighted by Krebs on Security ties this together, showing how attackers are adapting phishing tactics to current user behavior.
Because of this shift, SMBs need to update phishing training to include QR threats and also deploy mobile device protection as part of their core security posture. In addition, they must create clear QR-scanning policies and disable personal device access to sensitive systems, since attackers often target personally owned phones and tablets.
Business Risks of Ignoring This Issue
If you ignore QR-code-based phishing, you increase your exposure to credential theft and account takeover. Once attackers capture an employee’s username and password, they can often move freely through cloud apps, email, and internal systems.
Even worse, QR attacks blend digital and physical tactics. For example, a criminal might place a fake QR sticker over a real one on a shipping label, door sign, or front desk notice. Because it looks normal, staff may scan it without a second thought.
As QR codes become routine in business workflows, failing to address them in your security program leaves a clear gap. That gap can lead directly to compromised accounts, data exposure, and downtime.
Key business risks if you do nothing include:
- Stolen login credentials that give attackers access to email, file shares, and cloud apps.
- Account takeover and fraud, such as sending fake invoices, payroll changes, or vendor payment requests.
- Data exposure involving customer records, internal documents, and confidential communications.
- Operational disruption if systems must be taken offline to investigate and contain a breach.
- Compliance and reputation damage when customers or partners learn their information was put at risk.
Because QR phishing targets employee behavior, traditional email-only training and desktop protections are no longer enough. You must now treat mobile devices and QR use as first-class security concerns.
How Dynamic Solutions Group Is Solving This for Clients
Dynamic Solutions Group (DSG) works with SMBs that want practical, business-focused protection against modern phishing, including QR-based attacks. Since phishing is the core tactic behind these threats, DSG helps clients build stronger defenses across people, devices, and access policies.
First, DSG recommends updated phishing training that specifically covers QR-code threats. This means employees learn:
- How attackers use QR codes in both email and physical locations.
- What suspicious QR scenarios look like in day-to-day work.
- When to stop, verify, or escalate before scanning or signing in.
Next, DSG guides clients in deploying mobile device protection. While many businesses protect laptops and desktops, phones and tablets often remain overlooked. Consequently, DSG helps tighten controls around how mobile devices interact with business systems and data.
In addition, DSG helps clients create clear QR-scanning policies. These policies define:
- Which types of QR codes employees may scan for work.
- When a QR code must be verified before use.
- How to handle QR codes in public or shared spaces.
To further reduce risk, DSG also advises clients to disable personal device access to sensitive systems wherever possible. This step limits the damage if a personal phone is tricked by a malicious QR code, since it will not have direct access to key company resources.
Taken together, these actions help SMBs close a growing security gap and align everyday behavior with safer practices.
Questions SMB Leaders Should Ask Their MSP
You can use the questions below as-is with your current or prospective MSP to understand how well they are addressing QR-based phishing and related risks:
- Do our phishing awareness trainings specifically cover QR-code-based attacks, including those placed in physical locations?
- What protections do we have in place for mobile devices that staff use to scan QR codes for work purposes?
- Do we have a written QR-scanning policy that employees must follow, and how is it communicated and enforced?
- Are personal devices blocked from accessing our most sensitive systems and data, and how is that enforced technically?
- How would you detect and respond if a user’s credentials were stolen via a malicious QR code?
- How often do you review and update our phishing and mobile security controls in light of new tactics like QR-based campaigns?
These questions help you see whether your MSP is actively adjusting to QR-based phishing trends, or still relying on older, email-only assumptions.
Call to Action
QR-code-based phishing is not a theoretical risk anymore; it is a live tactic that blends into normal business activity. Because attackers now target both email and physical locations with malicious QR codes, SMBs must update training, tighten mobile protections, and set clear scanning rules.
If you want support building these defenses into your everyday operations, Contact Dynamic Solutions Group today. You can also explore industry reporting on this topic at Krebs on Security to see how attacker tactics continue to evolve.
