That QR code on the parking meter might be a sticker
Fake QR stickers on parking meters are sending people to payment scams. QR codes are links you can’t read.
Police in several Texas cities are warning drivers about fake QR codes stuck on parking pay stations. Scan one and you land on a convincing payment page that takes your card details. The city never sees the money.
The pandemic made QR codes normal: menus, payments, check-ins. And a QR code is just a link you can’t read before you open it.
Habits worth having:
- Look at the code itself. Is it a sticker on top of something printed? Walk away.
- Read the address your phone shows before opening it. Does it match the city, restaurant or shop?
- For payments, use the official app or website you find yourself, not the one the code sends you to.
- Never enter passwords on a page you reached from a QR code in a public place.
For businesses printing QR codes: use your own domain, check your codes regularly, and tell customers what the real address looks like.