Fake Parking QR Code Steals £60 From Les Howard as Quishing Reports Jump 700%
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 23
Fake Parking QR Code Steals £60 From Les Howard as Quishing Reports Jump 700%
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 23
Summary
£60 was taken from Les Howard’s bank account after he scanned a QR code at a North Wales car park and downloaded a fraudulent parking app.
A £1 test charge appeared first, and his bank later told him scammers had set up a recurring £60 monthly subscription before he could stop it.
Cyngor Gwynedd said it does not use QR codes for parking payments and has removed two fake QR-code stickers from its car parks in the past year.
2,743 QR code scam reports were filed with Report Fraud in the past 12 months, up from 341 in the year to August 2022, as criminals increasingly use “quishing” in car parks, adverts and emails.
The National Cyber Security Centre advises people to scan codes with their phone’s built-in camera rather than downloading separate apps, which can hide malicious links or payment traps.