A number of local authorities in Dublin and Wicklow have warned drivers about a QR code scam on parking machines and signage.
It is understood the issue first came to light when a woman in Greystones, Co Wicklow scanned a QR code and had €1,000 taken from her account.
Wicklow County Council said it is aware of the issue with bogus QR stickers being placed on legitimate parking signs, that they have removed them from their signage and reported the issue to gardaí.
"Wicklow County Council was recently made aware of a QR code scam on Pay and Display Machines in the county, where a bogus QR sticker was placed on some machines and Payzone signage. This QR code sticker brings the user to a fraudulent cloned website which requests credit card details and other personal data. We have reported this to An Garda Síochána and Payzone.
"All pay and display machines in the Bray, Arklow, Greystones and Wicklow Municipal Districts have been checked, and any bogus QR codes on these machines have been removed.
Warning: QR code scam on Pay & Display Machines
— Fingal County Council (@Fingalcoco) October 14, 2024
Fingal County Council is warning motorists to be vigilant of a QR scam that has taken place on Pay and Display machines. The Council is aware that a bogus QR sticker is being placed on some machines, bringing the user to a… pic.twitter.com/xvmZSwY9yF
"As a precaution, Wicklow County Council are advising all users not to scan any QR codes or bar codes that may appear on Pay and Display machines or Payzone signage.
"Users are advised to pay for parking online, to download the genuine Payzone parking app directly on your phone, or pay by card or cash where available. We encourage everyone to be careful when paying online, and to ensure they are using a genuine app," the council said.
Dún Laoghaire Rathdown in south Dublin said it has not had any reported incidents in their area but has asked parking wardens to remove any fraudulent stickers.
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"Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council have been made aware of this scam operating in neighbouring areas but received no direct reports from within the county.
"Today we requested that our Parking Wardens and our Meter Maintenance Provider inspect meters and remove any fraudulent stickers that had been placed on them.
"We are still investigating the matter and have escalated the issue with our cashless payment provider who manage the payment system," it said.
Fingal County Council in north Dublin said it is aware of the issue and warned motorists to be vigilant.
"Fingal County Council are warning motorists to be vigilant of a QR scam that has taken place on Pay and Display machines. The Council are aware that a bogus QR sticker is being placed on some machines, bringing the user to a fraudulent website which requests credit card details and other personal data. This has been reported to An Garda Síochána.
"Fingal County Council are advising motorists not to scan any QR codes or bar codes that may appear on Pay and Display machines. Instead, download the genuine parking app Payzone in use directly from the app store on your phone and use this, or pay directly by card or cash where available," the council said.
