ORLANDO, Fla. – The city of Orlando is warning about a scam using fake QR codes to steal personal information from drivers using downtown parking meters.
According to parking enforcement, about 200 fake QR code stickers were recently recovered from parking meters in downtown Orlando.
Police said the counterfeit codes are designed to look legitimate, but they redirect users to a fraudulent site.
In a Monday post on social media, Orlando police Sgt. Michael Fiorentino urged drivers to inspect QR codes for tampering before scanning it with a smartphone.
“The legitimate QR code from Park Mobile is printed directly onto the sticker and has a green background,” Fiorentino said. “One of the fraudulent stickers, which has been placed over it, is on a white background and easily peels off.”
To protect personal information and avoid unauthorized payments, drivers are asked to avoid scanning codes that look suspicious, use official parking apps or different payment methods when possible, and report suspicious QR codes to the Orlando Police Department.
Police said officers are working with the parking division to inspect all of the meters in downtown and remove any fraudulent stickers.