Millions of Britons at risk of 'nasty' parking scams as drivers face 'hefty fine from the council'
Drivers can see their bank account details stolen by fake QR codes
PA
The RAC is urging motorists to ensure they are not being ripped off when paying for parking or they could be scammed, lose money and give away their personal details.
A number of drivers around the country have fallen victim to fake QR codes being stuck on payment machines at car parks around the UK in recent months.
As a result, the leading motoring organisation is calling on motorists to be "very vigilant" and only pay with cash, card or official apps to remove the risk of being scammed.
The scam, which has been described as "quishing", sees scammers place fake QR codes over council-owned pay-and-display parking machines to trick drivers looking to get a parking ticket.
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The parking scams have been seen around the country
PAInstances of "quishing" have been seen in Barking and Dagenham, Northumberland, Northamptonshire, South Tyneside and Pembrokeshire - all of which use the PayByPhone app.
The RAC noted that it was also aware of scams taking place in the coastal town of Lytham St Annes near Blackpool where they use the MI Permit app for payment.
Drivers who use the fake QR codes are asked to input their payment details into a fraudulent website which is usually designed to look identical to the original website, such as PayByPhone.
Simon Williams, head of policy at the RAC, highlighted how the majority of Britons do not visit a car park assuming they will get scammed and potentially lose money.
He added: "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 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 urged drivers to avoid using QR codes altogether when visiting council-owned car parks as most do not operate using these systems, unlike most private car parks.
Williams said the spate of scam attempts on people looking to park was further proof that a National Parking Platform is needed to protect motorists.
Proposals included in the framework would see all drivers be able to use one app of their choice to pay for their parking regardless of which private car park they use.
The expert said: "As people are faced with a plethora of different payment apps depending on where they are in the country, it’s no wonder many resort to the convenience of using the QR codes they see on payment machines."
Electric vehicle owners have also been warned of quishing attempts to scam people through fake QR codes being put on public EV chargers that mimic real operators with different websites.
Speaking previously to GB News, Quentin Wilson, founder of FairCharge, told drivers that fake QR codes would be black and white stickers placed over original barcodes.
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EV experts have urged motorists to make sure they are using legitimate QR codes
X/FAIRCHARGEHe added: "To avoid this scam EV drivers should note that the Ubitricity signs attached to their Simple Socket charging lamp posts have green barcodes that are laminated into the sign and not stuck on.
"You can feel the edges with your fingernails. If you see one pull it off and never use it to pay for charging."