Some flyers taped to streetlights and benches in downtown Ladysmith last week had residents doing double takes, then pulling out their phones.
“Tyler, you cheated on me,” the unassuming posters on plain white paper read, with a a QR code — short for Quick Response code — placed prominently in the centre. Below that, a hard-to-ignore message: “I’m leaving photos here for everyone to see what you did.”
But instead of scandalous evidence, the QR code linked to a page promoting a friendship-themed speed dating event.
The campaign was part of a guerrilla marketing tactic, one increasingly popular with bands and small businesses looking to break through the noise online. Event organizers likely hoped the dramatic message would spark curiosity and get people talking.
It did.
So much so that the Town of Ladysmith stepped in. A few days after the posters appeared, the municipality issued a notice on social media warning residents and organizers alike.
“Did you post these flyers all over our street lamps and benches downtown? Well, don’t, regardless of the reason,” the post read. “It’s not only a violation of our Sign & Canopy Bylaw, but it looks awful! Town staff will be removing these signs.”
According to Bylaw 1995, No. 1176, unauthorized postings on public property are prohibited, in an attempt to maintain the town's aesthetic appeal and ensure public safety.
Aside from potential bylaw violations, the campaign raised another, less visible concern: cybersecurity. The flyers required passersby to scan a QR code, a technology that’s convenient, but not without risk. While harmless in this case, similar campaigns can pose real dangers.
Quishing, or QR phishing, is a type of scam in which QR codes are used to direct users to malicious websites or prompt them to download harmful content. The problem is that QR codes don’t show users the destination URL until it’s too late.
The risk is increasingly relevant as QR codes become more common in daily life. From scanning menus at restaurants to accessing event tickets, contactless payments and advertisements, Canadians are encountering QR codes with more frequency, and often without second thought.
The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security advises Canadians to approach QR codes with caution, particularly in public or unexpected places. Their website recommends users avoid scanning codes from unknown sources, preview URLs before clicking any links and use a secure scanner app when possible. The agency also recommends disabling automatic actions (such as opening a website or launching an app) after scanning a QR code as this reduces the risk of interacting with malicious content.
It may have been a savvy stunt, but cybersecurity experts say curiosity shouldn’t override caution, no matter how badly you want to see the receipts on what that two-timing jerk Tyler did.
