Drivers are urged to be vigilant when it comes to paying to park, as a spate of fake QR code scams have been catching out unsuspecting motorists, the RAC warns.
Criminals are placing fake QR codes over council-owned parking machines in a bid to steal car drivers’ money.
According to the RAC, this spate of ‘quishing’ scams has caught drivers out in Barking and Dagenham, Northumberland, Northamptonshire, South Tyneside and Pembrokeshire.
They all appear to use the PayByPhone app to collect parking payments, with drivers encouraged to enter card details into fraudulent websites, before their money is drained by the scammers.
Indeed, in May 2023, YourMoney.com foiled a spoof RingGo website scam, warning drivers of the danger of Googling parking firms, as dodgy sites ranked higher than official sites.
And just last week, James Masters of Stop Scams UK wrote a blog on ‘Quishing’ and the fake QR codes plaguing car parks and ruining your summer days out.
QR code: ‘Quick route to losing money’
Simon Williams, RAC’s head of policy, said: “A car park is one of the last places where you’d expect to be caught out by online fraud. Unfortunately, the increasing popularity and ease of using QR codes appears to have made drivers more vulnerable to malicious scammers. For some, this sadly means a Quick Response code could in fact be a ‘quick route’ to losing money.
“As if this quishing scam isn’t nasty enough, it can also lead to drivers being caught out twice if they don’t realise they haven’t paid for parking and end up getting a hefty fine from the council.”
Williams said the safest course of action when paying for parking at a council-owned car park is to avoid using QR codes altogether.
“Most of these councils don’t even operate a QR code payment system, so if you’re in any doubt, steer well clear and only pay with cash, card or via an official app downloaded from your smartphone’s app store. This advice should also be applied to any mode of transport where you can pay via a QR code, including electric vehicle charge points and private car parks,” he added.
Williams said that for those who do decide to use a QR code, you should follow these steps:
- Check to see if it has been stuck onto the parking payment machine. Tell-tale signs are the code looking too big or if it partially obscures official information underneath
- Make sure the payment website’s URL is secure and is the official site for the company you want to pay. Look out for a padlock symbol and an address that begins with ‘https://’
- If you’re concerned you’ve used a false code, check your bank statement and banking app for any suspicious transactions
- If someone calls you claiming to work for your bank, ask for a reference number, then phone your bank’s actual number from a letter they have sent or from their official website. Never ring the number the caller gives you over the phone or via email
Williams added: “Our research with drivers shows that many still prefer to pay with cash. Unfortunately, this option – along with payment machines – [is] being phased out by lots of councils, which a majority of drivers think is a bad idea.
“We believe there should always be at least two different means of paying for parking in the event technology fails or the car park is located somewhere with intermittent phone signal.”
