England fans watching Euro 2024 at pubs warned bank account will be 'emptied'

England fans have been warned over a sinister "bank-draining" QR code trick in pubs if they're watching Euro 2024. There has been an uptick in fake QR codes being pasted over real ones on pub tables and posters, disguised as self-order check points.

Fraudsters often disguise malicious apps and websites as legitimate ones. "Unfortunately we’ve seen a rise in scams ever since self-ordering became the norm during the pandemic," explained John Clark, Product Manager at Takepayments.

Clark noted there had been a "rise in scammers installing fake QR codes to trick customers into sharing their credit card details". Clark added that "22 per cent of phishing attacks involve QR codes, so it's important to stay vigilant".

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"You should also check that the name of the website you're directed to matches the business," Clark continued. "If the branding or logo appears to be different or there are suspicious elements on the code itself, such as if it looks like it has been stuck over another code, it could be a sign that the QR code may not have been made by the business," said Clark.

"You can spot SCA-compliant websites if they ask you for two levels of authentication when making a purchase," Clark explained. "If the pub you're at are making use of a specific payment platform app or have their own app, consider downloading this directing from your app store instead of using the QR code provided," Clark concluded.

Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) compliance is a legal requirement on all websites that take online payments. You should be asked two of three things to greenlight a purchase, experts say, and it could range from something you know, like a PIN, to something you have like a card or a phone number, or something that you are, for example, a fingerprint or even facial ID.