Motorists across a popular city have been warned of
fraudulent QR codes appearing on council car parks after criminals targeted
multiple locations across the city.
The scam affected Castle, Nunnery Lane, St George's Field,
Bootham Row, Monk Bar, Marygate, Union Terrace and Bishopthorpe Road car parks
during the summer months.
City of York Council issued the warning after
discovering the fake stickers had been placed on signage and ticket machines.
The fraudulent codes often displayed the PayByPhone
logo to appear legitimate, despite the payment service not using QR codes in
car parks.
Councillor Katie Lomas urged residents to report
suspicious QR codes to the council's anti-fraud team to help crack down on
cases.
The counterfeit QR codes redirect unsuspecting drivers to
fraudulent websites designed to mimic the genuine PayByPhone platform.
Once victims land on these fake sites, they're prompted
to enter their payment card details, which criminals then use to steal money
from their accounts.
Reports submitted to Veritau indicate that some
individuals have lost as much as £400 through these QR code scams.
The fraudsters deliberately exploit the PayByPhone branding
to create an illusion of legitimacy, even though the company doesn't utilise QR
codes for parking payments.
The council emphasised that PayByPhone operates exclusively
through its official app and doesn't employ QR code technology in any car
parks.
Most councils prefer traditional payment machines or
established mobile applications rather than QR-based systems.
A broader parking fine scam has emerged nationwide, with
fraudsters sending text messages claiming recipients have received parking
tickets.
The messages urge immediate payment through embedded links
to avoid escalating penalties.
The City of York Council confirmed it never sends Penalty
Charge Notices via text message.
Legitimate PCNs are either fixed to vehicles, handed
directly to drivers or sent by post.
Any parking fines arriving through alternative methods
should be treated with suspicion.
The nationwide scam exploits motorists' concerns about
mounting fines, pressuring them to act quickly without verifying the notice's
authenticity.
Fraudsters deliberately create urgency to prevent victims
from checking whether the penalty is genuine.
Councils across the country have reported similar schemes,
with criminals harvesting personal information and payment details through fake
penalty notices.
The DVLA recorded almost 20,000 reports of driving-related
scams last year, highlighting the scale of fraudulent activity targeting
motorists.
Criminals have developed increasingly sophisticated methods
to deceive drivers, with some victims losing thousands of pounds.
John Wilmot, chief executive of car lease comparison website
LeaseLoco, explained that fraudsters exploit drivers' fear of penalties.
"A lot of these scams will urge you to quickly pay a
fee to avoid facing bigger fines. When we see something like this, we often
rush to get the payment done rather than stopping and checking the legitimacy
of the message or letter," he said.
The scams encompass various tactics, including fake DVLA
communications claiming licences need updating or car tax payments have failed.
These messages attempt to harvest sensitive personal data
from concerned motorists.
Motorists can protect themselves by using only official
parking apps like RingGo and PayByPhone, avoiding any QR codes on parking
equipment.
The DVLA stressed it never requests money or personal
details through email or text, directing drivers to access services exclusively
via the official gov.uk website.
When receiving parking notices, drivers should verify
authenticity by contacting their local council's parking department directly.
Legitimate toll notifications come only from GOV.UK or
verified operators such as TfL, M6 Toll, and Dart Charge for the Dartford
Crossing.
Mr Wilmot emphasised the importance of pausing before making
payments: "By taking a moment to verify the legitimacy of these alerts,
you could save yourself from losing out on potentially thousands of
pounds."
