The City of Ottawa says its parking machines are being targeted by a scam involving stickers with a fake QR code that directs users to a fraudulent pay site.
Scott Caldwell, manager of parking services, told Global News in a statement Friday city staff have found the stickers on 51 of its 616 active parking machines since learning of the scam on Monday. They have since been removed.
“A sticker with a fake QR code has been attached to various machines which, when scanned with a smartphone, navigates residents to a fraudulent version of the PayByPhone website,” Caldwell said.
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“Residents are asked not to scan any QR code that has been placed on a Pay & Display machine, as the City does not include this option on the machines.”
An Ottawa police spokesperson told Global News in a statement Friday it has received similar reports in the past.
“We are aware that QR codes have been used in phishing scams and recommend that people carefully inspect any QR code before using it to ensure it appears valid. We have not received any recent reports identifying a specific location,” they wrote.
“As a general rule, if a QR code appears as a sticker affixed to a parking device, we suggest contacting Ottawa By-law Services or the parking lot management to confirm its authenticity. We encourage the public to exercise vigilance when using any form of electronic payment.”
Caldwell added residents who suspect they have fallen victim to the scam are encouraged to verify with their credit card company and call the Ottawa police.
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