LAST UPDATE | 14 Oct

A VIDEO RELEASED by Fingal County Council has warned members of the public about a scam involving fake QR codes on public parking meters.

The video, which was recorded by a council employee in Malahide, Co Dublin, showed two stickers which had been placed on the machine. One was put on the front, while the other was placed over the legitimate QR code on the side of the machine.

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… pic.twitter.com/xvmZSwY9yF

— Fingal County Council (@Fingalcoco) October 14, 2024

The scamming method, called quishing, involves tricking people into scanning a QR code believing it to be legitimate.

When the scanned, the codes direct to a fake website, which requests credit card details and other personal data. The council said that the matter has been referred to the Gardaí.

Payzone, who run the meters on behalf of councils, has also referred the matter to Gardaí, according to a spokesperson.

They also said that they have engaged with an IT company “who has been successful in swiftly shutting down these fraudulent websites where we have been made aware of specific cases”.

In a statement this evening, Dublin City Council said it has been made aware of the fake QR codes and that all reported incidents have been passed to Gardaí. 

As a precaution, Dublin City Council are advising all users not to scan any QR codes that may appear on Pay and Display machines or Payzone signage.

“Users are reminded that they can pay using cash or credit cards at the machines and are advised that if they wish to pay online that they download the correct Payzone parking app directly to your phone,” the council said.

“We encourage everyone to be careful when paying online, and to ensure they are using a genuine app.”

Dublin City Council also encouraged anyone who notices anything suspicious or has been the victim of a scam to contact Payzone or Gardaí.

In a statement to The Journal, a garda spokesperson said: “An Garda Síochána, and in particular the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau (GNCCB), has previously issued warnings in relation to the use of QR Codes posted in a public place.”

The spokesperson said QR Codes can be utilised to facilitate fraudulent activity and scams.

“An Garda Síochána is advising all persons to only scan QR Codes from known sources and always check the destination of the QR Code.”

A similar video was recorded yesterday in Greystones, Co Wicklow.

A spokesperson for Wicklow County Council said they were “recently made aware of a QR code scam on Pay and Display Machines in the County, where a bogus QR sticker was placed on some machines and Payzone signage”.

“This QR code sticker brings the user to a fraudulent cloned website which requests credit card details and other personal data. We have reported this to An Garda Síochána and Payzone,” they said.

“All pay and display machines in the Bray, Arklow, Greystones and Wicklow Municipal Districts have been checked, and any bogus QR codes on these machines have been removed.

“As a precaution, Wicklow County Council are advising all users not to scan any QR codes or bar codes that may appear on Pay and Display machines or Payzone signage,” they said.

Fingal County Council is also urging members to pay for parking using the Payzone app, rather than via QR codes on parking meters.

Similar incidents have been reported recently in both the UK and United States. A number of councils in the UK say they have been contacted about fake codes on their meters, while victims have also reported being caught in the US states of Florida, Georgia, and California.