The New Face of Phishing: QR Codes in PDF Files

Phishing attacks are constantly evolving. In recent years, cybercriminals have shifted from sending malicious links in emails to embedding QR codes inside PDF files. These codes can look harmless — often placed inside invoices, delivery confirmations, or payment forms — but once scanned, they can redirect you to fake websites designed to steal your credentials or payment information.

This new tactic, known as “quishing” (QR phishing), has been growing rapidly as people become more accustomed to scanning codes without thinking twice.

How These Attacks Work

A typical phishing PDF might look like a simple document with a company logo and a QR code labeled “Scan to view your invoice.” When you scan it, however, you’re redirected to a fraudulent site that mimics a legitimate service — like a bank or delivery provider.

From there, attackers can:

Capture your login details
Install tracking scripts
Steal sensitive company information
Trick you into approving payments

Since the danger lies in what happens after scanning the code, even experienced users can fall for it.

How Seguradoc Keeps You Safe

Seguradoc allows you to open and inspect suspicious PDFs without ever executing the file. When you upload a document:

It’s opened in a secure sandbox, isolated from your system.
Seguradoc creates visual snapshots of each page, so you can safely preview the content.
The system scans for potential phishing links or QR codes that might redirect to unsafe sites.
You receive a sanitized version of the file, rebuilt entirely from these safe snapshots.
Seguradoc also generates an AI-powered summary of the document, giving you quick insight into its content before deciding what to do next.

This process ensures that even if a PDF contains malicious QR codes, the file you view — and the clean version you download — are completely safe.

What You Can Do to Protect Yourself

Even with tools like Seguradoc, good security habits are essential:

Never scan QR codes from unknown sources.
Always check the sender’s email address.
Avoid opening PDFs from unexpected attachments.
Use Seguradoc to review the content before taking any action.

Final Thoughts

Phishing attacks are becoming more deceptive, and QR codes make them harder to spot. Instead of guessing whether a file is safe, you can rely on Seguradoc’s sandbox and AI-powered analysis to inspect every PDF securely.

If you receive a suspicious document, don’t scan the QR code, just upload it to Seguradoc and see what’s really inside, safely.