Your parking payment problems now include fraudulent QR codes

You might want to avoid that QR code stuck on a parking meter the next time you visit somewhere in Texas (or any other state, just to be on the safe side). Also known as quick response codes, they are a fairly common way for scammers to get rich quick by tricking people into paying them or by planting malware. Now they stick it on parking meters to make money by scamming unsuspecting drivers.

According to a FoxNews report, 29 parking pay stations in Austin were found covered in fraudulent QR codes. For those unaware, Austin’s parking stations only accept payment through the official ParkATX app, coins, and bank cards – both credit and debit. The Austin Police Department has already issued a warning about the ongoing scam on social media platforms, but it appears the scam has spread to other cities in Texas.

🚨Scam Alert🚨
APD Financial Crimes detectives investigate after fraudulent QR code stickers are found on public parking meters in the city of Austin. People attempting to pay for parking using these QR codes may have been directed to a fraudulent website and made a payment. pic.twitter.com/Gb8gytCYn7

— Austin Police Department (@Austin_Police) January 3, 2022

The San Antonio Police Department also posted a similar article. Warning and is currently investigating the parking meter QR scam. Massachusetts State Police sent a warning message thus, asking residents and visitors to avoid the QR codes they encounter at parking stations. Michigan’s St. Joseph Department of Public Safety said he also received reports of fraudulent parking tickets.

In an official Press release, the City of Houston has warned citizens that on-street parking pay stations do not accept QR code payments, which means you should stay away if you encounter one. The ParkHouston team has launched an inspection campaign to check over 900 checkout counters for such malicious QR codes, although no casualties have been reported so far. If you are in Houston, you can pay your parking bill in coins via the ParkHouston App, or bank cards. According to ABC News, officials had spotted five places where fraudulent QR codes were affixed. Residents were urged to report these scams to [email protected] e-mail address.

What if you’ve already been duped?

The QR code scam can hurt users in several ways. The most obvious is when a scammer gets the cost of the parking ticket deposited into their account. In such a scenario, only a few dollars have disappeared from your wallet. However, scanning a suspicious QR code may also redirect users to a webpage where they may be tricked into submitting sensitive financial information such as credit card numbers and bank account information, among others.

When this happens, the scammer can either sell this data to bad actors or even wipe your account by initiating a transaction after extracting the PIN. The risks of harm are vast. Law enforcement officials have advised people to remain vigilant and if they suspect fraud has occurred, the victim should immediately file a report.

You can do this by contacting the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) of the Federal Bureau Of Investigation by visiting http://www.IC3.gov on your phone or computer. The victim is also advised to immediately report the incident to their local police department, either by phone or in person (if existing COVID-19 protocols permit).

If you’ve been the victim of a parking meter QR scam in Austin, call the 3-1-1 Helpline or visit http://www.ireportaustin.com to file a credit card violation report. In addition, you should try to contact your banking institution and ask them to block any transactions in your name or related to your banking portfolio. Once it is done, users need to follow it by changing their online banking account passwords and credit card PIN.

How to avoid QR code scams?

Scanning a QR code may seem harmless, but it’s nothing short of a huge leap of faith. We don’t know what is behind these dots and lines or what kind of websites they will lead users to when scanned. But since the pandemic hit, QR codes have exploded in popularity. Take, for example, a restaurant where you no longer need to touch a physical menu. Just scan a QR code and the menu opens on your phone. The same goes for making payments after the meal or any other in-store purchases.

In the resurgence of QR codes, scammers have also seen an opportunity. In October of last year, the Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota warned of QR code scams. A month later, the FBI also released a Warning about shady QR codes in cryptocurrency ATMs that could be used to deposit funds into a malicious party’s wallet. Here are some precautions you can take to avoid falling victim to QR code scams in general – and not just at a parking station:

1. Do not scan QR codes given to you by strangers, stuck on your vehicle or at any random place like an airport or bus stop. Always check if an alternative method of payment such as cash or bank cards can be accepted.
2. If scanning a QR code leads to a website, check the URL to see if there is anything strange with the name, such as misspellings or random numbers. If the URL spells a name, do a quick Google search to see if the main URL matches the one opened after scanning a QR code. Other telltale signs are strange advertisements and pop-ups on a web page. Payment gateways are generally secure and don’t show a ton of ads, if at all. Another tip is to look for HTTPS in the URL, as the “S” stands for secure. Genuine government agencies or verified institutions usually have an HTTPS URL, instead of following the old HTTP protocol.
3. If someone sends you a QR code via social media or an instant messaging app, ask them if they personally scanned it and if it works as expected.
4. If a message or email with a QR code was sent by an institution like your bank or insurer, always call them to confirm before scanning.
5. If a QR code shows signs of tampering, such as a botched one, avoid scanning it at all costs.
6. If you receive a QR code from someone claiming that you will be paid after scanning it, it is most likely a fraud. Avoid it.
7. In the event that a QR code is associated with cryptocurrency or Bitcoin related schemes, avoid it as much as possible.
8. Install mobile security software or apps that can detect the opening of a malicious QR code link and trigger an alarm if there is a potential risk. Kaspersky, Avira, Bitdefender, AVERAGE, and Avast offer solutions that can protect you from scams and malware.