Wheat State's August 2021 Newsletter

Wheat State Technologi es • 1/800 442-6835 • www.wheat s tate. com August 19 is National Potato Day Potatoes are definitely America’s favorite vegetable. Each year we con- sume about 110 pounds of potatoes per person. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that potatoes have a holiday in their honor. In preparation for National Potato Day, we’ve dug up this trivia for you: • People in Shakespeare’s time viewed the potato as an aphrodisiac and labeled them “Apples of Love.” • During the 18th century, potatoes were served as a dessert, hot and salted, in a napkin. • The Irish are perhaps best known for their love of potatoes. At one time Ireland was so dependent upon potatoes that when the potato crops were destroyed by blight in 1845 and 1846, over one million people died and another million left Ireland to find food. • The potato chip was invented in 1853 and has been America’s number one snack food for more than 50 years. While we’re on the subject of spuds, here’s a message for all of you who enjoy being couch potatoes. Wheat State Tech- nologies offers the high-speed internet you need to stream movies and TV series without the annoyance of buffering. Call 1/800 442-6835 to learn more. QR codes, which stand for “Quick Response” or “Quick Read,” have been around awhile. You’re used to seeing these matrix bar codes in magazine ads and brochures as well as on posters, product packaging, and tourist attraction signage. But something new has arrived—the scam of QR code click jacking. Scammers are now using stickers to place their own QR codes on top of legitimate ones. This is especially common in public places like airports, train stations, and bus depots, where the QR codes are purposely placed in an accessible place so people can use them easily. This plays into the hands of the scammers, because it also makes them easy to cover with their own stickers. Victims who scan the fake QR codes are directed to malicious websites and prompted to provide personally identifiable information (PII), which can be used for identity theft. Or victims could have malware directly downloaded to their smartphones and lose money through online banking fraud. According to Scambusters, here’s what you should do to avoid becoming the victim of a QR code scam: • Never scan a code box that doesn’t appear to be linked to anything else and has no accompanying text—for example, just stuck on a wall or floor. • Be wary of scanning codes in public places, such as transportation depots, bus stops, or city centers. • Check first to see if a code is on a removable sticker. If so, don’t scan. • If you scan a code and find yourself on a webpage that asks for PII such as passwords, don’t key in the information. Finding out details on a product is not important enough to take the chance on being scammed. You can always investigate the product later. • Use a secure QR reader app that checks the website the QR code is directing you to before it takes you there. Used by legitimate businesses, QR codes are a convenient information portal. But used by scammers, they can become a fraud gateway. Slow down and watch for warning signs before you act. How to Avoid a QR Code Scam