Drivers warned after woman scammed out of £836 while paying for parking

Drivers warned after woman scammed out of £836 while paying for parking
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Drivers have been warned over a new parking scam which saw a woman in Ireland swindled out of £836. A motorist has warned over a QR code scam and fraud which has cost a motorist and road user an eye-watering 1000 euros after using a fake icon.

"Be careful everyone, this happened in greystones. The lady's daughter was scammed out of €1000, using a QR code that she scanned to pay for parking," a motorist warned on social media this week. One Twitter/X user said: "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."

A second said: "QR code is generally just a URL to a website. Problem is your guard is down. Where you might be suspicious of a URL on an email or SMS, QR codes seem trustworthy. Always think before entering bank details on a web form."

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"This is happening far too often. Never use QR codes for parking. And what are parking providers doing to stop this fraud? Their machines, their land - surely responsibility to prevent this should be theirs," former BBC Top Gear star Quentin Willson said.

Another said: "I'm really tech savvy and never thought I'd fall for any of the scams. So far touch wood I've not but I'd have fallen for this one. Be careful out there folks." And another typed: "Sorry now but Cash is king, it’s about time young people cop on and realise this, get of the phone and use cash"

"I never understand these scam attempts. When you click on a link or a code etc you’re presented with an option to pay. You can see the merchant and the amount. Why would you accept to pay? It’s like scam emails.. look at the sent from address. People are click happy.. and lazy," another wrote.

"That sounds concerning. QR code scams can be tricky, as they often look legitimate. It's important for people to double-check links and verify payment methods before proceeding. Always better to stay cautious!" another said.