QR Code generatorThis QR Code will take readers to the online version of Allan Hoffman's column on NJ.com when read by a barcode scanner application on a smartphone. QR codes are everywhere these ...

According to NordVPN, 73% of Americans report scanning QR codes without verifying their source, with 26 million having ...

QR codes are easy to use, if you know how to access the information they contain and have an internet connection.

QR codes are a close cousin of the bar codes on product packaging that cashiers scan with infrared scanners to let the checkout computer know what products are being purchased.

The trouble is, with QR codes, you may not be able to tell the difference between a malicious code and a legitimate one until you've scanned it. But there are a few ways you can avoid fakes.