PETALING JAYA – More than 5,000 QR code scam cases have been recorded in Malaysia from January to June 2026, leading to nearly RM30 million (S$9.44 million) in losses.

Known as “quishing”, this scam tactic has risen sharply since 2023, said Bukit Aman Commer­cial Crime Investigation Dep­artment (CCID) director Comm Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa.

“The significant increase shows that QR codes are increasingly being exploited by syndicates as a medium to disguise malicious links, redirect payments and trick victims into surrendering banking information or approving transactions without realising the actual purpose.

“Quishing is a form of phishing that uses QR codes to direct victims to fake websites, payment gateways or applications.

“The trend shows that QR codes are no longer merely being used as convenient payment tools, but are increasingly being exploited as vehicles for various online scams,” Comm Rusdi told The Star.

He said 223 QR code scam cases were recorded in 2023, involving losses of RM4.59 million.

The number of cases rose to 655 in 2024, with losses of RM6.76 million.

“However, the real jump came last year, when the number of cases increased more than ­eightfold to 5,907, while losses rose nearly sixfold to RM40.85mil,” he added.

In 2026, the number of cases recorded between January to June was at 5,134 with losses at RM28.67mil.

Rusdi said QR code scams were no longer an isolated form of fraud, as syndicates were using the technology to facilitate various types of online scams.

Selangor recorded the highest number of cases, followed by Johor and Kuala Lumpur.

Rusdi said this was closely linked to the high number of digital transaction users, e-commerce activity and cashless payment facilities in these areas.

“Overall, 11,919 QR code scam cases involvi...