Fake QR Code Scams in Essex Car Parks: How to Spot Them
Updated: Oct 26
Many car parks now ask you to pay by scanning a QR code on the machine or a sign. Scammers know this, and some stick their own code over the real one. Scan it and you land on a copycat payment page that collects your card details. Here is how to spot it, and what to tell an older relative who parks in town centres or at the seafront.
How the scam works
A printed sticker is placed over the genuine QR code. When you scan it, your phone opens a website that looks like the real parking payment page. The details you type in go to the scammers, who then use your card or sell the information on. Often nothing seems wrong until odd payments appear on a bank statement.
Warning signs
Sticker edges or peeling. A code stuck over another one may not sit flat. Run a finger over it.
A web address that does not match the operator. Check the name on the sign against the address your phone shows before you type anything.
Requests for more than payment. Be wary if the page asks for extra personal details beyond your vehicle registration and card payment.
Pressure to hurry. A busy car park makes it easy to rush. A genuine payment page will wait.
How to pay safely
Look closely at the code before scanning. If it looks like a sticker, do not scan it.
Use the car park operator's own app, which you have downloaded from the official app store, or pay at the machine with a card or cash where that is offered.
Type the operator's web address yourself rather than following a code you are unsure about.
Check your bank statement after paying, and report anything unfamiliar to your bank straight away.
If you have already scanned one
Ring your bank on 159, which connects you to your own bank, and tell them what happened. They can block the card.
Report it at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040.
Tell the car park operator or the council so the sticker can be removed.
Helping an older relative
People who do not use a smartphone much can find QR codes confusing. If a relative would rather not scan them at all, that is perfectly sensible. Help them find a car park that takes cards or cash, or keep a few coins and a card in the car. If you would like company on outings, Essex Home Support can accompany your relative to appointments, shopping and days out across Essex. Call 07719 634112.
