Some restaurants give a QR code so you can see their menu on your phone and movie theaters will sometimes give you a QR code as your ticket when you prepay online. Other businesses also give you a QR code as a way to receive your payment.

But as preppers know, there are many ways to take advantage of technology.

Cybercriminals can use QR codes to steal your personal data and financial information. Knowing how to spot fake QR codes is one way to protect your data from those who want to steal it. (h/t to ApartmentPrepper.com)

Understanding QR codes
A QR code is a square black and white barcode that contains information and gives you access to a website. It prompts download of an application or directs payment to an intended recipient.

It was invented in 1994 by Masahiro Hara, chief engineer of Denso Wave, a Japanese company and subsidiary of Toyota. The QR code was originally invented to track vehicles and parts as they moved through the manufacturing process.

QR stands for "Quick Response" and a QR code is easily readable with modern devices like smartphones.

Standard barcodes can only be read top to bottom, but a QR code can store information as a series of pixels in a square grid that can be read in two directions, top to bottom and right to left.

When creating a code, data can be added to it. However, this increases the code's structure and makes it more complex. You can also personalize codes.