Urgent warning to motorists over council car park payment scam

Drivers are being issued with an urgent warning to stay away from potentially fake QR codes plaguing a number of British car parks. Conmen are using the fake QR codes to steal personal information, including banking details, which is then used by criminals to access the victim's money.

The scam, known as 'quishing', has been identified at car parks in a number of major cities, including Pembrokeshire, Northumberland, and South Tyneside. The RAC has confirmed that is aware of car parks containing the fake codes and has warned that it could cost drivers a considerable amount of money.

It also warned motorists could end up being fined by councils which believe parking has not been paid for in a designated area while victims have been tricked into thinking they have. RAC head of policy Simon Williams 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 (QR) 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.”

He added: "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.”

The RAC used the scams as an