You’ve probably been there. You walk up to the parking meter and just want to pay it and get on with your day. But unlike the old-school method of just plugging parts into a machine, there are a few slightly different ways to pay so you can finally get on with your day. One of the ways is to scan a QR code, which will take you to a website where you can do it. But you might want to take a closer look at that tiny pixelated image the next time you pass this hideous dance.
Police in Southern California are warning residents about QR codes affixed to parking meters and directing the unsuspecting to a website that has nothing to do with paying local governments. Legitimate companies that handle payments locally are known by names like ParkMobile and PayByPhone, but QR codes that direct people to fake websites are often issued with just one letter.
For example, instead of being sent to PayByPhone, drivers who try to pay using fake QR codes are directed to “paybyphone.” Fraudsters get away with little more than a sticker in a parking lot that makes the QR code look like it has the same style as legitimate information.
The city of Redondo Beach, south of Los Angeles, reportedly has at least 150 fake QR codes, according to local police, mostly in the Esplanade and Riviera Village areas, according to a statement issued by Redondo Beach police. .
“We entered the URL. The URL — the first five in the Google search was fake,” one man told ABC7 in Los Angeles. “It was a scam. It has a symbol. It says ‘passport parking.’”
Surprisingly, despite reports that the city of San Clemente in Orange County, south of Redondo Beach, has experienced similar QR scams, a notice posted on the city’s website said officials had not detected the scam.
“A recent news story noted a potential QR code scam related to paid parking in San Clemente. Please note, this has been investigated, and no fraudulent QR codes have been found,” the city said. “While City staff will continue to be diligent, the public is encouraged to report any QR codes that appear damaged or tampered with, or stickers affixed over the original code.”
What can you do to protect yourself? Obviously, the safest option is to pay in cash if you can. But always keep a close eye on any URLs you land on or land on while trying to pay for parking. Avoid scanning completely random QR codes, if you can’t help it. The use of QR codes was not common in everyday life in the US until the covid-19 pandemic really began to force many restaurants to accept codes instead of physical menus.
But QR codes can really make things easier and even easier when you’re trying to find a website. Exchange? You have to be really diligent to make sure you’re visiting the site you want to visit and you’re not being offered malware or simply giving your money to scammers.
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