Scammers are putting QR code stickers on parking meters to trick people into paying them

• Police in San Antonio said last month they found fraudulent QR codes on parking meters.
• The QR codes took victims to scam websites soliciting payment.

Police in two Texas cities have warned about a new scam involving fraudulent QR stickers on parking meters.

San Antonio police put out a warning on Twitter on December 20, saying fraudulent QR code stickers were found on public parking meters. People who used the QR codes were directed to scam websites to pay for their parking.

The Austin police department tweeted on January 3, saying it had discovered similar scam stickers on public parking meters.

—Austin Police Department (@Austin_Police) January 3, 2022

Jason Redfern, parking division manager for the Austin Transpiration Department, told KXAN that department workers found stickers on 29 out of 900 public meters.

"We don't use QR codes at all for this very reason, because they are easy to fake or place on the devices," Redfern added.