Scam Parking QR Codes Hit Town

Move along…

he first we heard about it was this morning, when one reader got in touch about being scammed on Bray main street.

Their daughter’s credit card details had been taken and €1,000 spent after she scanned what turned out to be a fake parking QR code.

And now, someone in Greystones has suffered the same fate.

It’s a problem that’s been around for a few weeks in the UK and beyond, and is no doubt about to spread around Ireland too.

The sticker codes lead drivers to a fraudulent website where any payment details entered are stolen by scammers.

The official advice is to refrain from using QR codes when it comes to making mobile payments in such circumstances, and stick to cash, card or official apps.

And shortly after we posted this warning, one reader, Pearl, got in touch to tell us that she ended up peeling off “over 20 sticker” QR codes around Greystones on Sunday evening.

If being scammed out of possible thousands wasn’t enough, there’s also the distinct danger that such fraudulent schemes means the driver hasn’t actually paid for parking, and may find themselves with a hefty fine too.