Massive rise in QR code fraud in Germany
German authorities register a 146 per cent increase in QR code phishing. Consumer advocates agreed on an action plan against fraudulent internet shops.
Massive rise in QR code fraud in Germany
Between January and March 2026, German security authorities recorded a sharp increase in QR code-based phishing attempts of 146 per cent. Overall, fraudulent internet attacks at the beginning of the year rose by 13.8 per cent.
At the latest consumer protection ministers' conference in Potsdam, the federal government and states agreed on joint measures against counterfeit online shops. Four states – Brandenburg, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia and Thuringia – brought up an accelerated shutdown procedure modelled on the Belgian system. Currently, authority is distributed across several institutions: police, courts, the Federal Network Agency and the Federal Office for Information Security. The departmental heads want to consolidate these competences in order to act more quickly against fraudulent offerings.
The scale of the problem is considerable: the consumer centres registered around 10,000 complaints about deception in online shopping last year. A representative survey showed that almost a quarter of all German internet users have already been victims of such crimes. Thuringia alone suffered losses through fake shops estimated at around 600,000 euros.
Crime on the internet is becoming increasingly professional. Police in North Rhine-Westphalia recently arrested a man on Mallorca who is believed to be the head of a network of deception websites. He is accused of defrauding approximately 1,000 people. Furthermore, international investigators recently shut down service platforms through which criminals could create thousands of counterfeit internet pages for around 80 euros. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation warned of over 4,300 misleading internet addresses that were discovered in the context of the forthcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Another warning sign: since February this year, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the IT Security Office have recorded intensified attacks on users of the Signal messaging app, including prominent members of the Bundestag. The perpetrators gain access by intercepting security codes or linking external devices to accounts.
Source: Börse Express
Source: Google News AT — Crime (de)