Drivers warned over car park QR code scam

Drivers are being warned about fake QR codes after a man said he was tricked into paying £39 to park his motorhome.

Mike Stewart, from Somerset, was visiting Lincolnshire with his wife when he scanned a payment code to park at Anderby Creek car park in Skegness.

However, once he checked his bank account the following day he realised the code belonged to scammers.

Lincolnshire Trading Standards said the county council does not use QR codes on its car park signage and urged motorists to ignore them.

A QR code is a graphic that can be scanned using a mobile phone camera and links to a website.

On reflection, Mr Stewart said he believed the code had been stuck on to the payment board and urged motorists to check before scanning.

Mr Stewart added: "We noticed that, first of all, 90p had been taken from our card and then further down there was £39 taken.

"I feel really annoyed.

"I would say [to motorists] first of all see if there is another way to pay and, secondly, if it's the only way then go to the board and see if it is something that has physically been stuck on."

Mark Keal, of Lincolnshire Trading Standards, said QR codes became popular during Covid to order food and drink in restaurants but there is a slightly greater risk in public spaces.

He said: "Car parks and railway stations have been targeted.

"You can protect yourself by looking to see if the QR code is actually embedded into the printing on the car park signage and hasn't been over stickered.

"It's an easy scam to fall victim to.

"Unfortunately, when you are in that situation, you're quite often rushing around. So you're not always careful when you're using your mobile device and there's other distractions."

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute has warned that parking scams have become increasingly common, with fraudulent apps, bogus penalty notices and fake QR codes all being used.

Action Fraud has recorded a sharp rise in reports related to parking. However, reports of scams in Lincolnshire have so far been rare.