CyberheistNews Vol 16 #05 [Heads Up] New 'Fancy' QR Codes Are Making Quishing More Dangerous
KnowBe4, Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026
QR code phishing scammers are increasingly using visually stylized QR codes to deliver phishing links, Help Net Security reports.
QR code phishing (quishing) is already more difficult to detect, since these codes deliver links without a visible URL. Attackers are now using QR codes with colors, shapes and logos woven into the code's pattern.
"Fancy QR codes further complicate detection," Help Net Security says. "Their layouts no longer resemble the familiar black and white grid. Logos appear in the center. Modules become rounded, stretched or recolored. Background images blend into the code. These design changes preserve scan success while disrupting visual and structural assumptions used by existing detection tools."