Scammers are sending cards through the post which claim to be from Amazon and include dodgy QR codes.
Watch out for fake Amazon QR code postcards
These days, QR codes are everywhere. They are printed, included on presentations at conferences, on business cards, the packaging of your new tools, and you can even see them painted on buildings. They are used by people and companies to distribute and store all kinds of information so that they are quickly accessible to anyone with a smartphone.
Which? has stated that scammers are sending cards through the post claiming to be from Amazon and including dodgy QR codes.
The cards are said to “offer a free product that you can claim by scanning a QR code – a 2D barcode image made up of black-and-white squares that you can scan with a phone to direct you to a website. The card claims that you can buy the product and then send an email to receive a refund”.
Which? has helpfully issued a list of ways by which you can spot these dodgy QR code postcards:
- urgent requests for details or payment – if you’re told that you have to do something very quickly
- personal information requests
- sending money outside of Amazon
- gift card purchases
- unexpected orders – these scams should be reported to Amazon and the police.
You must call your bank immediately, if you lose any money to a scam, using the number on the back of your bank card.
You should also report it to Report Fraud (formerly known as Action Fraud), or call the police on 101 if you’re in Scotland.
FCA launches new Firm Checker tool to fight scams
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulates financial services firms in the UK. They set standards for firms to meet and hold them to account if they don’t.
The work of the FCA helps the UK to maintain its reputation as a leading global financial centre. This should be a centre where firms can operate and innovate with clarity and certainty, while consumers are well served.
The FCA supervises around 41,000 firms and regulates the conduct of around 42,000 businesses, while about 17,000 firms are subject to the prudential standards in the FCA Handbook.
Which? has announced that the FCA recently launched a Firm Checker tool because it can be tricky to know whether a company is legitimate, as the tactics used by scammers constantly evolve.
Which? noted that, “the FCA hopes that using the tool will significantly reduce people’s chances of falling victim to fraud and losing money”.
What can Firm Checker do?
“In the UK, almost all financial firms must be authorised or registered by the FCA.
With Firm Checker, consumers can quickly input the name of a company to check two key things:
Whether the provider is authorised by the FCA and whether it has permission to offer the specific services you want.
The tool also allows you to input other information you may have, such as the company number, postcode, website or Firm Reference Number to help you narrow down your search”.
Which? also tells people that they can also sign up for their Scam Alert emails, offering free weekly updates on the scams you need to be aware of.
Scammers are hiding behind Google’s ‘click-to-call’ ads
Which? Has also warned the public that Three UK customers have been targeted by a series of bogus adverts appearing in Google searches such as ‘call Three’ or ‘Three mobile help’ in late September 2025.
Although Google verify these advertisers being, meaning that they passed at least basic identity checks, the adverts promoted websites that were clearly intended to deceive, as they “claimed to offer ’24/7 support from Three’ and had domain names that referred to ‘threemobilephones’ and ‘threemobiledeals’, but had nothing to do with the real company”.
Which? has helpfully provided a checklist as to how to avoid click-to-call scams:
- Caution is your strongest defence. We think it’s best to simply ignore adverts you spot online.
- Don’t use search engines to contact a business – use official websites.
- Check the web address
- Use a free domain checker – if a website has been recently created, it could be a sign of a scam. ICANN Lookup tells you when any given website was first created.
Scam Sharer tool
For information on how to share scam warnings and help protect others, see Which?’s Scam Sharer tool.
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