MOTORISTS across the country have been told to “be careful” after a parking scam left a woman €1,000 out of pocket.
The QR code parking fraud is the newest trick used by scammers to do people out of their money.
Parking machines are often fitted with a QR code which can be scanned, prompting a link to a website where they can purchase a parking ticket online using their bank card.
However, clever tricksters have started replacing the legitimate code with a fake QR sticker, which allows them to swindle those who click on the link.
A woman in Greystones, Wicklow, recently took to social media to share her nightmare story.
She posted a video to X, formerly Twitter, showing that the QR sticker on the parking machine was a fake by peeling it off.
The shocked woman captioned the video: “Be careful everyone, this happened in greystones.
“The lady’s daughter was scammed out of €1,000, using a QR code that she scanned to pay for parking.”
Punters took to the comments to express their horror and urge drivers to use cash at ticket machines.
One pointed out: “New Scams everyday it seems thank you for sharing.”
A third person added: “Never happened in the days you put coins in a machine, or when you handed the money to an old boy in a hut.
“Technology is not always good news.”
Greystones is not the only place affected by the new trick.
Fingal County Council in Dublin recently warned motorists of the same issue, calling it “bogus”.
They took to X to warn locals and visitors of the danger.
The post says: “Warning: QR code scam on Pay & Display Machines Fingal County Council is warning motorists to be vigilant of a QR scam that has taken place on Pay and Display machines.
“The Council is aware that a bogus QR sticker is being placed on some machines, bringing the user to a fraudulent website which requests credit card details and other personal data.
“This has been reported to An Garda Siochána.
“Fingal County Council is advising motorists not to scan any QR codes or bar codes that may appear on Pay and Display machines.
“Instead, download the genuine parking app Payzone in use directly from your phones app store and use this, or pay directly by card or cash where available.”
