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Beware of Car Park QR Code Scam

Published on: 4 Feb, 2025
Updated on: 5 Feb, 2025

Scammers have targeted Guildford car parks Google

By Chris Caulfield

local democracy reporter

Fake QR codes, used to scam motorists into giving away their bank and card details, have been found in Guildford car parks.

Scam codes have been placed on payment machines, signs and barriers in an attempt to defraud people into thinking they are making genuine payments, Guildford Borough Council has warned.

Not only are the unsuspecting drivers handing over private details to the scammers but they are also putting themselves at risk of collecting a fine for not having a valid parking ticket.

The council has issued a warning to help people from getting caught out and said it does not use any QR codes at its car parks – so if you see one it’s a scam.

Cllr Catherine Houston

Lead councillor for commercial services, Cllr Catherine Houston (Lib Dem, Shalford), said: “We are aware of the increase in QR code parking scams across the country and I want to reassure residents that our teams regularly inspect our car parks to keep them safe and free from fraudulent activities.

“Criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their methods so if you do spot a QR code in one of our car parks, please don’t scan it; report it to the council instead.

“By raising awareness of such scams, we help to protect drivers from being misled so that residents and visitors can use our car parks in confidence.”

Once scanned, the codes take people to a fake website that asks for credit and debit card information, mimicking genuine payment providers.

The council has now placed signs within all its car parks explaining to only use the RingGo app and to not use any QR codes found.

It has also pledged to remove any codes found with its enforcement team carrying out daily checks.

See also: Guildford’s New Car Park Charges Include ‘A Very Reasonable Increase’

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