Public warned of bogus QR codes on car parking payment machines

Tue, 15 Oct, 2024 - 11:49

David Kent, Liz Dunphy and Joyce Fegan

Members of the public are being warned of the latest trick from scammers and fraudsters involving payment machines for parking your car.

The scam involves a fake QR code sticker being put on a car parking payment machine to siphon money from people's bank accounts and gain access to banking details, it is believed.

It has been reported in both Dublin and Wicklow so far.

Fingal County Council has issued a warning calling for motorists to be "vigilant" of the scam.

"The council is aware that a bogus QR sticker is being placed on some machines, bringing the user to a fraudulent website which requests credit card details and other personal data. This has been reported to An Garda Síochána.

"Fingal County Council is advising motorists not to scan any QR codes or bar codes that may appear on Pay and Display machines. Instead, download the genuine parking app Payzone in use directly from your phones app store and use this, or pay directly by card or cash where available.

Warning: QR code scam on Pay & Display Machines
Fingal County Council is warning motorists to be vigilant of a QR scam that has taken place on Pay and Display machines. The Council is aware that a bogus QR sticker is being placed on some machines, bringing the user to a… pic.twitter.com/xvmZSwY9yF
— Fingal County Council (@Fingalcoco) October 14, 2024

Payzone Parking, which operates a lot of the machines involved, has also urged the public to avoid scanning the code.

In a statement on social media, it wrote: "We are aware of this and have reported it to the Gardaí. We are urging motorists not to scan any QR Codes.

"We are currently removing all affected signage.

"If you have entered your card details on a fraudulent website, we recommend that you contact your bank immediately to cancel your card, email info@payzone.ie with details of the QR code and the URL (website) you were directed to so that we can continue to get these sites taken down. You should also report the incident to An Garda Síochána."

They noted that the Payzone app is still available to use for online payments.

Gardaí confirmed that they were looking into the matter.

In Wicklow, one woman wrote on social media that her daughter scanned the QR code on a parking sign in Greystones and her card details were taken. Her bank reportedly contacted her about the scam.

Wicklow County Council issued a warning, shared by Wicklow gardaí's Facebook page, saying that all QR codes in Bray, Arklow, Greystones and Wicklow Municipal Districts are now being marked off or removed.

"Wicklow County Council is advising all users not to scan any QR codes or bar codes that may appear on Pay and Display machines or Payzone signage," the statement said.

"Wicklow County Council are advising users paying for parking online to download the genuine parking app Payzone in use directly from your phone's app store and use this, or pay directly by card or cash where available.

"Wicklow County Council encourage everyone to be careful when paying online and ensure that they are using a genuine app."

Following the warnings from Fingal and Wicklow Councils, Cork City Council also clarified that it does not use QR code stickers for payments of its facilities, whether on public roads, in car parks, or at park and ride locations.

Cork City Council said the only legitimate methods in which it takes payments for parking are:

Displaying a parking disc purchased from authorised retailers for on-street parking;
Using the Cork City Park by Phone app or the dedicated telephone number for on-street payments;
Paying by cash or card at pay machines in Douglas;
Paying by cash or card at pay stations in Paul Street Car Park, North Main Street Car Park, or the Black Ash Park and Ride.

The Council said any QR codes seen on parking meters are not genuine and should not be used.

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