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Economy

QR code scams strike China, from merchants to traffic tickets

Scammers rip off people trying to pay parking tickets

A fruit vendor in the Chinese city of Dalian displays a WeChat Pay QR code. Such businesses are vulnerable to scammers switching the codes.

TOKYO/SHANGHAI -- QR payment codes, a mainstay in China's cashless society, have presented con artists with yet another avenue to secure a quick payday.

The scammers enjoy a vast pool of potential victims in China as well, with a recent study showing that 98% of people with smartphones in urban areas use their devices for mobile payments. The quick response codes have become so commonplace that they are used even to pay traffic tickets.

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