Scammers Stick Fraudulent QR Codes on Texas Parking Meters

From PC Mag: The Austin Police Department is investigating potentially fraudulent QR code stickers found on more than two dozen parking meters across the Texas capital.

Earlier this month, local parking enforcement officers discovered Quick Response barcodes on city-wide pay stations; people attempting to feed the meter by scanning a black-and-white sticker may have submitted payment to a bogus vendor.

"The QR codes linked to a site that is not part of the City of Austin paid parking system and may have been created with malicious intent," according to a local government announcement. Austin Transportation offers only three ways to pay for parking: with coins or credit/debit card at a pay station, or via the Park ATX mobile app. Quick Response codes are not currently an option.

"We've talked to industry professionals who have warned us about using QR codes," Parking Enterprise Manager Jason Redfern told Fox 7 Austin. "And that's why we do not utilize QR codes on our infrastructure at all."

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