Across the country, drivers are being warned about the rise in fraudulent QR codes being placed in car parks by scammers.
These fake QR codes often direct unsuspecting users to fraudulent websites designed to steal personal and financial information.
Victims may lose money to scammers but also may end up receiving parking fines as they have failed to pay their parking through the correct channels.
Warnings have been issued by nine councils across the country, including Durham and Dover.
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has noted an increase in reports of these parking scams across the country.
Katherine Hart, CTSI scams lead officer said:
“We know the criminals are exploiting this technology and using their own QR codes to get our personal information, or our bank account information, the aim is to defraud us”
“It may be you are downloading the QR code and it takes you to a payment platform.”
“But sometimes the criminals will ring you in a couple of days claiming to be from your bank’s fraud department, and will say we believe you’ve been a victim of a parking scam and they’ll try to defraud you again.”
The national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime, Action Fraud, revealed that it received 3,143 reports nationally that mentioned the word ‘parking’. This is double the figure from 2022.
What is a QR code?
A QR code (‘Quick Response’ code) is a type of two-dimensional barcode that can be scanned by a smartphone or tablet. It consists of black and white squares and can store information much more efficiently than traditional barcodes.
Further reading
Bank fraud and scam claims – Oakwood Solicitors
WHAT TO DO NEXT
Get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation. Choose one of the methods on the right-hand side of this page, or call us on 0113 200 9720 to find out how we can help you.
Author: Aditi Zamvar
Telephone Scams – Know The Warning Signs
In light of a recent credit card scam highlighted by HSBC, we thought it may be helpful to highlight the dangers of such fraud by detailing the kinds of tactics employed in an attempt to …
View
