Drivers cautioned about prevalent parking scams

Motorists are being urged to exercise caution due to an increase in scams targeting individuals seeking to park their vehicles. Southampton City Council reported discovering fraudulent QR codes on parking meters approximately every two weeks, which redirect users to deceptive websites. Councillor Eamonn Keogh, the cabinet member for environment and transport, stated: “It is an issue that has become more prevalent.” He further advised individuals to be “extra vigilant” and to “make sure they are using the correct app and following the instructions on the pay meter”. Richard Horton, service manager for parking and the Itchen Bridge at Southampton City Council, indicated that efforts were underway to address the problem. He explained: “As and when the QR codes are seen, we identify the websites, we go through to PayByPhone who have a method for making sure the websites are taken down as soon as possible and we raise awareness of the issue via social media.” This issue is not exclusive to Southampton, a fact highlighted by David Rutter of Bournemouth. He encountered difficulties while driving to meet a friend in Winchester. He recounted: “I turned up, parked in the car park, came over to use the meter and the meter was out of action.” Mr. Rutter stated that he scanned a QR code, which directed him to a fraudulent RingGo website and subsequently captured his bank details. He added: “I only realised about three hours after when I came back to get to my vehicle and found a parking charge from Winchester City Council on the windscreen of my car.” Mr. Rutter reported that upon verifying the official RingGo website, he discovered it differed from the site he had accessed. He stated that the scammers had enrolled him in 18 undisclosed subscription websites, each attempting to deduct between £50 and £100 weekly from his account. Mr. Rutter characterized the experience as “frustrating” but successfully notified his bank about all the fraudulent subscriptions before any funds were withdrawn. He also mentioned that he still incurred a £25 parking fee payable to the council. During October, Winchester City Council announced the removal of eight counterfeit QR codes from its parking machines. The local authority issued a statement: “All the fake stickers we’ve been made aware of have been removed, and colleagues in our car parking team are regularly attending and inspecting machines to ensure any new stickers are removed at the earliest opportunity.“We urge anyone who sees a sticker to report it to our parking team.” Also in October, in Netley Abbey, Judy Theobald narrowly avoided a scam involving a text message claiming she owed a parking fine. She recounted: “It said pay £20 now or if you wait a fortnight we’re going to double it. It looked very official and it was the Government logo.”I went on to the next page, put my number in and then when I checked the date of the alleged offence, I checked my diary and I’d not left my house that day.” Ms. Theobald shared her experience on social media to caution others about the scam, prompting individuals nationwide to report receiving comparable messages. The Government has stated that parking scams fall under the purview of local authorities and law enforcement.