Police warn of terrifying one-step scam that allows a hacker into your phone within seconds

A police officer has spoken out to warn about a terrifying one-step scam that opens up your device to hackers in seconds.

Us Millennials and Gen-Zers might think we know everything when it comes to keeping ourselves safe online, having grown up with ever-evolving technology that our parents still can't get their heads around.

However, if that's your belief, this cop is about to humble you as he warns technology is continuing to advance every day and even the most gadget-savvy of us are falling victim to a new scam on the scene.

Bo Braxton Da Savage, who goes by @fitbocop1914 on social media, revealed all on Instagram in a desperate bid to raise awareness to the sneaky con.

Bo said he had only recently caught wind of the 'pretty smart scam' in August which he admits 'would've got' him too had he not been made starkly aware of it.

How this scam works is the victim initially receives free gifts in the mail.

So far, not so bad. Who doesn't like free presents?

However, that's how they get you as the package may indicate it's from a company you recognize or perhaps have shopped with before, and it'll have your full name and address on, lulling you into a false sense of security.

Bo explains: "So what's going to happen is, you get the package, you're going to look at it and think, 'Aw okay someone sent you a gift'. There's going to be a QR code on the package or in the package.

"[...] And you're going to scan the QR code and once you scan the QR code every bit of information in your phone is going to get sent to the scammer - it's going to send your credit card information, your bank information, your pictures, your phone numbers, your contacts. Everything that's in your phone, after you scan that QR code, is going to get sent to the scammer."

If a mysterious package turns up for you, the cop says simply 'take the gift' or 'trash it' but 'do not scan the QR code to find out who the secret sender is'.

The police officer isn't the first to warn about the dangers of QR codes too as a cybersecurity expert said scanning them willy-nilly can be a fast-track ticket to having your security breached.

Adrianus Warmenhoven from NordVPN explained once you scan a dodgy QR code, if you have an 'unpatched browser' or one with a vulnerability and the QR code takes you to your phone's browser, which takes you to the page linked in by an attacker, then an attacker can 'take over and infect the system' on your device.

The scary part is that you probably won't even realize our phone had been accessed by the scammer.

To avoid this happening to you, Warmenhoven warned to treat QR codes as suspiciously as you'd treat any other sort of link.