How to Protect Yourself From Quishing: Stop QR Code Phishing Before It Starts

A quick scan. A tiny square on a flyer. An urgent "tap here" note on a parking ticket. That split-second trust is exactly what attackers count on. Quishing - phishing delivered via QR codes - looks harmless, but it can steer a device through hidden redirects, land users on convincing fake login pages, or silently hand off tracking tokens that leak data.

This article explains why QR codes create a blind spot, why "just check the URL" often fails, and practical steps to reduce risk. The final section explains how Clean Links reveals the true destination and removes tracking before a page is opened.

Why QR Codes Create a Blind Spot

QR codes remove typing and context at the same time.

• When a code is scanned, the phone decodes data and shows a URL or action. That first URL can be a pivot point - a short link, a redirector, or a cloud-hosted page that immediately forwards to a different destination.
• Attackers use shorteners and multi-stage redirects to hide the final target. What looks safe at first glance can become a credential-stealing page after one or more redirects.
• QR codes can be placed anywhere: posters, menus, leaflets, stickers placed over legitimate codes. That physical placement makes them persuasive and easy to abuse.

Why "Check The URL" Often Fails

Telling someone to "just check the URL" assumes a few things that are not true in practice:

1. The decoded URL may itself be a redirector, so checking it shows only the first step.
2. Many viewers - including default camera apps - display the decoded link but do not follow the full redirect chain or reveal the final destination until a tap occurs.
3. Even if the final domain looks legitimate, tracking parameters and affiliate tokens can be attached. Those parameters can enable profiling or be used as part of fraud flows, making it harder to see where a scan really leads.

In short: a visible URL is useful, but it is not the whole picture.

The video above demonstrates the critical difference: Apple's Camera app shows only the initial domain, while Clean Links follows all redirects to reveal the true final destination before you tap.

Practical Steps To Reduce Risk

• Treat unsolicited QR codes like unknown links. If something arrives in the post, on a sticker, or in a place where it was not expected, avoid scanning.
• If a business provides a QR code (menu, ticket, payment), verify the code with staff or use the business's official app or website instead.
• Avoid entering credentials on a site reached from a QR code. For important services, type the known official address manually or use a trusted bookmark.
• Prefer scanners that preview the final destination and show the redirect chain rather than only the first decoded link.

How Clean Links Helps

Clean Links is designed to unmask QR codes and short links. It follows the full redirect chain and displays the true final URL before the page opens. While the iPhone camera shows the decoded link, Clean Links reveals redirects and strips tracking parameters so the landing page and the link that opens match expectations. All processing runs locally on the device, with no external logging.

Clean Links can be downloaded from the App Store for free.

Quick Checklist to Protect Yourself

• Pause before tapping. Inspect the scanner's preview and the final domain.
• When in doubt, do not enter passwords or payment details.
• If a link requests urgent payment or credentials, verify the request outside the link.
• Make a safer scanner the default if QR codes are scanned regularly in public places.

Quishing succeeds because it exploits routine behaviour. A small amount of caution combined with the right tooling breaks the attack chain. For anyone who scans QR codes even occasionally, using a scanner that previews and cleans links removes much of the risk.