'Scam warning' - South Tyneside Council warns motorists to beware of QR code parking fraudsters
Warning issued as figures from Report Fraud said such scams had increased by around 700 per cent in the past four years
Council bosses have repeated calls for South Tyneside motorists to be watchful for scam QR codes on machines when paying for parking - following reports nationally of an upsurge in such crime.
They have confirmed their systems do use the technology at pay points but say drivers who see any such codes appearing at parking locations should report their suspicions.
In April 2024, the council issued an alert following several reports of suspected criminality and a warning remains in place on its website.
Though no new parking issues around QR codes in the borough are believed to have come to light, the new warning comes after a rise in related crime across the country.
Figures from Report Fraud said such scams had increased by around 700 percent in the past four years, not just around car parking but also including through suspicious links in emails.
Report Fraud is the UK’s national reporting service for cyber crime and fraud and is owned and operated by the City of London Police.
A South Tyneside Council spokesperson said: “We do not operate a QR code payment system for parking in any of our car parks.
“Any QR codes claiming to take or process parking payments are not valid. Accepted payment methods include coins, card and the PayByPhone app.
“Some of our card-only machines display QR codes which can be scanned to obtain a receipt. These QR codes are not used to make parking payments.
“Anyone choosing to pay using PayByPhone should follow the instructions displayed on the parking machine.
“We would also ask people to report any QR codes that appear to be offering parking payments to Parking Services on 0191 424 7900 or by emailing [email protected].
“Anyone who believes they may have fallen victim to a scam should report it to Action Fraud.”
The National Cyber Security Centre advises people to use the QR scanner that comes with their phone, usually the camera, rather than downloading a separate app.
It says this is because some apps contain adverts which can make it difficult to know which link to click on.
According to the 2023 Crime Survey for England and Wales, 1 in 17 adults in England and Wales were victims of fraud.