Founder's Blog

I'm at the Airport - Check it Out!

Posting pictures of airline boarding passes that contain barcodes or QR codes can make your life an open book for criminals. Let's check this out further!

BadWolf

Sep 5, 2023 • 4 min read

Yep - it's a thing!

Posting pictures of airline boarding passes that contain barcodes or QR codes can make your life an open book for criminals.

Most of us likely haven’t spent much time thinking about what information is hidden in barcodes, or in those fancy little swirls and squiggles of QR codes.

QR codes and barcodes can be a criminal’s treasure map of YOU. For a start, the codes/bars can contain one or all of...

personal identification and contact details

reservation number

frequent flier number

Maybe even your -

– passport

– driver’s license number

– … and ???

This is a long list - and a good thing to check into with every airline that you use.

This kind of data can be used by the criminal who stole it, or it can be sold to other criminals.

And what do you suppose an enterprising criminal can do with this info???

😱 Besides steal your identity and run up your credit cards (or open new ones)?

Well… they now know where you live - so that's a plus. Especially if you're a frequent flier with platinum status on an airline or 2. Must mean you have money, yes? In the eyes of a criminal that definitely makes you worth a second look.

And - they have your airline info - so why not check out your account, get a feel for your travel habits? There's a whole list of scams that will work well with that info - from fake hotel, restaurant, and sightseeing scams to having an idea of when and where you are likely to use unsecured airport/hotel/coffee shop internet.

Oh - and remember that password - or 2 - or 3 - that you have been meaning to change since you hit "reset password" last month (and used a quick-fix password you thought you could remember until you had time to write it down)?

Criminals LOVE quick fixes.

And “1234*A” really was just a quick fix, yes? You meant to change it- really - you did… 😳

So… as a criminal, breaking your password gives me access to… what exactly???

So many possibilities.

⬆️ Let’s choose that selfie you posted on social media today. You remember - it’s the one where you’re smiling and showing off your airline boarding pass.

As a criminal, what can I do with this post and a couple of flimsy passwords, you ask?

Read on, dear friend - because I now have access to:

ALL of your boarding pass info.

Your picture.

ALL of the info from the social media account you used to post.

Let’s regroup:

✅ I have your name, yes? Have you ever searched someone’s name to find out where they work? Compared their picture to make sure you had the right person? Google search works for criminals too.

✅ Do any of your email addresses 📬 include ANY part of your name? Your company name? The answer for most of us is yes.

✅ Do any of your email accounts 📬 use that “1234*A” password we talked about above? That will definitely make my job easier! Maybe I'll start with -

your personal email 🧑💻

or your company email 🏦

then move on to your Amazon account 📦

your mobile phone account.📱

or … ??

This is a short version of a very long list.

IT'S A REALITY -

We ALL slip up on our security at some point.

We ALL have days that are rushed, stressful, or exhausting.

Days when we realize we forgot to add crucial information to a work document - so we download it on airport wifi just before boarding our flight.

Days when we need to check a bank account or pay a forgotten bill.

There are tools for that. Easy security fixes to make those “It can’t wait until I get back to my secure wifi.” days SAFER (not safe, but safer).

BE AWARE of what you are revealing in the photos and messages you post.

Be aware that YOUR privacy is YOUR responsibility.

DON'T make the criminal's job easier by handing them your information.

KNOW who has your data (in this case the airline), what they are using it for (to get you booked and safely on your flight), and HOW they are accomplishing this. In this case they scan the barcode or QR code on your boarding pass to get the information they need.

Talk to your security people - we want to help (and it makes our job easier). OR - leave a comment/DM - I’ll point you in the right direction.