Petaling Jaya, 3rd September 2026 – More than 5,000 QR code scam cases have been recorded from January to June this year, leading to nearly RM30 million in losses.
Known as "quishing", this scam tactic has risen sharply since 2023, said Director of Commercial Crime Investigation Department, CP Dato' Rusdi Mohd Isa.
"The significant increase shows that QR codes are increasingly being exploited by syndicates as a medium to disguise malicious links, redirect payments and trick victims into surrendering banking information or approving transactions without realising the actual purpose.
"Quishing is a form of phishing that uses QR codes to direct victims to fake websites, payment gateways or applications.
"The trend shows that QR codes are no longer merely being used as convenient payment tools, but are increasingly being exploited as vehicles for various online scams," Dato' Rusdi told The Star.
Read further in The Star’s article attached.