Fraudsters place fake QR code stickers over genuine ones in car parks to steal payment details, a practice known as 'quishing' (QR phishing), according to multiple reports. The fake codes redirect users to fraudulent websites designed to collect credit card numbers, passwords, and personal information.
Data obtained by Ailsa Reliability Solutions via a freedom of information request shows a dramatic increase in reported cases. In 2022, only nine cases were reported with a total loss of £322. In 2023, 133 reports were made with victims losing £29,682. The true figure of losses is likely much higher as most scams are not directly reported, according to the Daily Mail.
This is an urgent warning to protect drivers in Kensington and Chelsea. If you use a QR code to pay for parking in Kensington and Chelsea, I guarantee that you are paying scammers instead of the Council. Our officers are removing these fake signs as quickly as we spot them but we want to make sure visitors and residents don’t fall foul of this cruel hoax which has been blighting other areas of London too.
Motorists could face a 'double whammy' of charges: losing money to the scam and receiving a fine for not paying for a genuine parking ticket, the Daily Mail reported. In 2023, one woman lost £13,000 in Thornaby Station car park after scanning a fake QR code. According to the Daily Mail, Tina Sheppard from Derbyshire lost £80 after scanning a fake QR code in Leicester; she described the code as looking totally genuine and said her biggest concern at the time was getting to her hotel safely.
Which? warned: "Don't get caught out by a QR code scam." The consumer group advised: "Before you scan a QR code in public, always check to see if it's been tampered with. If it looks suspicious, don't use it. Just type the web address in manually on your device to make sure you visit the correct website." They also recommended using the phone's built-in camera scanner rather than a separate app, and previewing the web address to ensure it begins with HTTPS and matches the expected site.
Cem Kemahli, a councillor in Kensington and Chelsea, issued an urgent warning: "If you use a QR code to pay for parking in Kensington and Chelsea, I guarantee that you are paying scammers instead of the Council. Our officers are removing these fake signs as quickly as we spot them but we want to make sure visitors and residents don't fall foul of this cruel hoax which has been blighting other areas of London too."