A man who used a QR code to pay for parking ended up becoming the victim of a scam after fraudsters used a fake parking app to obtain his bank details.
Les Howard, 61, was visiting Caernarfon in North Wales with his wife when he realised he did not have enough change to pay for parking. He noticed a QR code on the parking meter that appeared to offer a way to download an app and make the payment.
Although other people at the car park were using the QR code, Howard became suspicious when the newly downloaded app asked him to enter his card details.
He deleted the app and decided to park elsewhere. However, he later received a notification showing that £1 had been taken from his bank account.
The following day, another transaction of £60 appeared. Howard contacted his bank and was told that the scammers had apparently set up a recurring £60 monthly payment.
The council responsible for the car parks, Cyngor Gwynedd, said it did not use QR codes for parking payments. It also confirmed that two fake QR code stickers had been removed from its car parks during the previous year.
The type of scam is known as “quishing”, where criminals use QR codes to direct people to fraudulent websites or apps designed to steal money or personal information.
Reports of QR-code-related scams have increased sharply. Report Fraud received 2,743 reports mentioning QR codes in the 12 months to August 2026, compared with 341 reports in the year ending August 2022.
Cybersecurity experts warn that QR codes can also be used in emails and messages to disguise dangerous links or trick people into giving criminals access to their accounts.
Ollie Whitehouse, chief technology officer at the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre, said criminals were increasingly taking advantage of QR codes because people have become accustomed to using them in everyday situations.
Another victim, Keith Betton, 66, was also targeted after scanning a QR code in a magazine advertisement while trying to purchase a book. He later discovered that scammers had attempted to take £59.99 from his bank account.
Experts advise people to use the camera or built-in QR scanner on their phones rather than downloading unfamiliar QR-scanning apps. They also recommend checking the website address carefully before entering payment or personal information.
As QR codes become more common in parking, shopping, transport and online communication, cybersecurity experts say people should avoid assuming that a QR code is safe simply because it appears in a familiar location.
