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2024: Motorists are massively cheated on €1,000 by pasting fake QR codes on parking meters

In mid-October 2024, police in Ireland warned motorists about a fraudulent scheme in which fake QR codes are used on parking meters. Thus, fraudsters trick people into downloading malware to smartphone software or sending confidential financial information to websites controlled by criminals. According to reports, one woman from the Wicklow area lost 1,000 euros from her bank account after reading one of these QR codes.

East Coast county councils are asking all motorists to be extra vigilant while their staff check all devices and remove fake QR codes. Payzone, which operates a cashless parking payment service in all areas of Dublin, has also brought in IT professionals to work on removing fraudulent links from QR codes. The company also reported the fraud to police and asked motorists not to scan QR codes on Pay and Display terminals, but to pay directly with a card or cash if possible.

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In addition, the company urged consumers when downloading the application to make sure that the source of the download file is trusted app stores, and Payzone is listed as a developer. Applications with similar names or from other developers should be considered fraudulent.

Fake QR codes are known to transfer people to websites similar to standard payment systems, where they are asked to provide sensitive financial data. All information, including credit or debit card details, then goes to the criminals. Other QR codes are infected with malware that spies on users, steals sensitive data or can even gain full control of devices before a ransom is obtained. Fraudsters often use the information they receive to send phishing emails with viruses to other contacts.^[1]

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