Bedford Borough Council has advised residents not to scan QR codes on town centre parking meters as they “may not lead to the correct website”.
On Friday (13 December), the council launched a simplified payment system for parking, using just one app across all 177 on-and-off street parking locations in Bedford.
However, rogue stickers displaying a QR code were found on several of the PayByPhone information panels, in a scam that has been reported in other towns and cities across the UK.
A Bedford Borough Council spokesperson told the Bedford Independent, “We have been made aware that stickers with a QR code have been added to some of our parking payment machines.
“We would recommend people do not use QR codes on the machines to pay for parking as they may not lead to the correct website.”
Speaking to The Guardian in July, the RAC’s head of policy, Simon Williams, said: “Unfortunately, the increasing popularity and ease of using QR codes appears to have made drivers more vulnerable to malicious scammers.
“For some, this sadly means a Quick Response code could in fact be a ‘quick route’ to losing money. It can also lead to drivers being caught out twice if they don’t realise they haven’t paid for parking and end up getting a hefty fine from the council.”
The council said that all machines continue to operate as usual, with the option to pay by the app or by card. Some meters also allow cash payments.
To download the new parking app, search your app store for ‘PayByPhone Parking’ and select the app with the nine green squares.
