Parking meter QR codes that have been covered with a fake
Federal Trade CommissionNationwide
On September 3, 2026, the FTC described reports of scammers sticking their own QR codes over the real codes on parking meters. Scanning the replacement can open a look-alike payment page built to take money, personal information, or both.
Many phone cameras preview the address before you open it. The FTC says that preview is worth reading, because a fake code often points at a misspelled or slightly altered web address.
Red flags
- A QR code on a meter looks like a sticker laid over another code.
- The previewed web address has misspellings, swapped letters, or an unfamiliar domain.
- The page asks for a card or personal details before you can pay for parking.
How to protect yourself
- Read the link preview before you open a QR code. Stop if the address looks wrong.
- Keep your phone's operating system and apps updated. The FTC points iPhone users to Apple's update steps and Android users to Google's.
- Use a strong, unique password and multi-factor authentication on accounts you care about.
- If a meter code looks tampered with, pay through a method you already trust or confirm the city's real parking site yourself.
If you are hit
- Do not go back to the page or contact anyone through it. The FTC says they may use that conversation to ask for more money or information.
- If you entered a password, change it everywhere you reused it.
- Review card and bank transactions for charges you do not recognize, then report the code at reportfraud.ftc.gov
Questions
Is Parking meter QR codes that have been covered with a fake a scam?
On September 3, 2026, the FTC described reports of scammers sticking their own QR codes over the real codes on parking meters. Scanning the replacement can open a look-alike payment page built to take money, personal information, or both. This page summarizes a public warning from Federal Trade Commission dated September 3, 2026. The linked source is the record.
What should I do if I fell for it?
Do not go back to the page or contact anyone through it. The FTC says they may use that conversation to ask for more money or information. If you entered a password, change it everywhere you reused it. Review card and bank transactions for charges you do not recognize, then report the code at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Sources
- See a QR code parked somewhere? Don't scan it…yet!FTC Consumer Advice
This summary is informational and not legal advice. If it and the linked source disagree, follow the source.
Related alerts
- Texts with a QR code and a fake traffic-hearing noticeApril 14, 2026
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