Scam Parking QR Codes Return

Move along…

t was back in October 2024 that the alarm was first raised, a reader getting in touch about being scammed on Bray main street.

Their daughter’s credit card details had been taken and €1,000 spent after she scanned what turned out to be a fake parking QR code.

The new stickers

And less than a day later, someone in Greystones had suffered the same fate.

Today, the Gardaí have issued a fresh warning, as a new round of fake QR codes are discovered around Wicklow.

The sticker codes lead drivers to a fraudulent website where any payment details entered are stolen by scammers.

The official advice is to refrain from using QR codes when it comes to making mobile payments in such circumstances, and stick to cash, card or official apps. The same for fixed notices on your windshield, fakes appearing around Dun Laoghaire in late March.

And these feckers can be prolific. Shortly after we posted the original warning back in October, one reader, Pearl, got in touch to tell us that she ended up peeling off “over 20 sticker” QR codes around Greystones on Sunday evening. So, keep your eyes – and your parking meters – peeled.

If being scammed out of possible thousands wasn’t enough, there’s also the distinct danger that such fraudulent schemes leaves the driver with unpaid parking, and a possible hefty fine.