Fake parking tickets ‘rickroll’ North Carolina motorists

By Staff The Associated Press

Posted March 7, 2016 1:24 pm EST

Updated March 7, 2016 3:04 pm EST

1 min read

This article is more than 8 years old and some information may not be up to date.

The fake tickets included a code that could be scanned with smartphones and pulled up a music video for the 1987 Rick Astley song "Never Gonna Give You Up.". Rene Johnston/Getty Images/File

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Motorists in North Carolina who tried scanning fake parking tickets ended up getting “rickrolled.”

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WLOS-TV reports the fake tickets in Asheville included a code that could be scanned with smartphones and pulled up a music video for the 1987 Rick Astley song “Never Gonna Give You Up.” The practice of having that video pop up is known as rickrolling.

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Asheville’s transportation director said the tickets that appeared Friday were clearly fake. The tickets were for $100. The city’s normal parking fine is $10.

Police say whoever handed out the tickets could be charged with littering.

Parking Services Manager Harry Brown said the fake tickets caused extra work and aggravated those who got the tickets and at least one person tried to pay.

The city is not collecting those fines.