Spain faces record surge in QR phishing (quishing) attacks, ESET reports

Cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting QR codes to launch phishing attacks, a practice known as quishing. ESET’s Threat Report for the first half of 2026 shows a record rise in such campaigns, with QR‑based links appearing in about 11 % of all phishing emails and generating roughly 100,000 detections each month.

Spain accounts for 17 % of the world’s quishing detections, ranking just behind the United States. The report warns that the summer travel season, when tourists frequently scan QR codes for menus, parking, Wi‑Fi and tickets, heightens the risk of credential theft and fraudulent card transactions.