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QR code scam targeting pay and display parking machines, city warns

The City of Ottawa is warning residents about a new scam targeting its "pay and display" parking machines.

Scanning stickers leads victims to 'fraudulent version' of payment website

Jenna Legge · CBC News ·
A pay and display parking machine.
The City of Ottawa said on Friday staff are inspecting its roughly 6,500 pay and display parking machines for more of the fraudulent QR codes. (Kate Porter/CBC)

The City of Ottawa is warning residents about a new scam targeting its "pay and display" parking machines after discovering stickers with a fake QR code attached to dozens of the curbside units. 

"When scanned with a smartphone, [the QR code] navigates residents to a fraudulent version of the PayByPhone website," the city warned Friday. 

The city said it has no such payment option on its pay and display machines and asked residents not to scan the codes.

On Monday, the city said staff had inspected 90 per cent of Ottawa's roughly 650 pay and display machines and removed 51 fraudulent stickers. No stickers have been found since Friday, though inspections were expected to continue Monday.

"If you see a QR code on any of these machines, call 3-1-1 to alert staff so that the stickers can be removed immediately," the city asked residents. 

Two parking machine labels, one with a blurred sticker.
The city issued this image comparing an untampered parking machine label, left, and one with a fraudulent sticker, right. CBC has blurred the image so the QR code cannot be scanned. (City of Ottawa)

Residents who suspect they've fallen victim to the scam are encouraged to check with their credit card provider and contact Ottawa police. Ottawa police indicated Monday they'd have an update on their investigation by Tuesday.

Some motorists told CBC the scam would be an easy one to fall for.

"It's automatic for you [to] just open the camera on the smartphone and just scan the QR code," said Thales Dutra, who often parks downtown. 

"It's good to check everything. Don't trust it at first, question it," added Ervin Jean-Pierre, who told CBC he planned to review his banking records after hearing about the scam.

A man in a red shirt smiles.
Thales Dutra told CBC the parking machine scam would be easy to fall for. (Jenna Legge/CBC)

Residents are reminded to use the correct payment methods at parking machines, which include downloading the official app, visiting PayByPhone.com or calling 613-691-1700.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jenna Legge

Jenna Legge is a reporter with the CBC in Ottawa. Before that, she studied journalism, law and political science at Carleton University. She can be reached at jenna.legge@cbc.ca.

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