DRIVERS have been cautioned against city parking meters that are stealing their personal information.
A transportation advisory was issued regarding a parking meter scam that has been duping drivers.
The New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) informed drivers that the city’s ParkNYC meters were stealing credit card information from unsuspecting parkers.
At least one QR code was placed on the side of a legitimate city meter with a fake link, according to the DOT.
Once a driver scanned the fraudulent code, it would redirect them to a third-party site asking for credit card information.
New York’s DOT did not reveal which meter was tampered with.
NYC drivers have been advised to avoid sharing payment information like credit or debit card numbers through online portals or apps.
The department reminded drivers that the only way to securely pay for a metered parking spot is through the official ParkNYC app or on a physical meter.
“Consumers beware. Scammers are targeting parking meters, and we want you to be vigilant,” Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said.
“If you see a QR code on a parking meter, do not scan it and please report it.”
The commissioner urged New Yorkers to tear off any fake parking stickers and report it by calling 212-839-7100 or emailing parknyc@flowbirdapp.com.
The DOT has taken steps to make New Yorkers aware of the scam.
“ParkNYC users will receive an in-app notification about this scam and proper payment methods for metered parking. NYC DOT has notified law enforcement,” according to a press release.
The city’s police department has already been notified of the scam and have launched an investigation.
Law enforcement officers are looking for any illegally placed signage or markings pertaining to parking meters across the boroughs.
New York City began using ParkNYC, the mobile payment system for on-street parking, in December 2016.
How to spot a fake parking ticket
Thieves sometimes go to great lengths to squeeze money from drivers
With parking ticket scams on the rise, it’s important to know how to tell the difference between a bogus ticket and a legitimate one.
Many parking enforcement agencies, like those employed by cities, will never ask people to pay for their tickets via apps like Venmo, PayPal, or Zelle.
A QR code should always make drivers cautious, as many times they lead to fake payment websites built by scammers to access banking or personal information.
It’s also wise to pay close attention to logos, as some scammers will even use fake logos close enough to a city’s official logo fooling those who don’t look closely.
Emails or text messages regarding parking citations should always be ignored, as most parking enforcement agencies will never use those mediums to collect a debt.
Other helpful tips for spotting false citations:
- Do some research on the lot you’re parking in, as signs are legally required to be posted to inform drivers on who is enforcing parking rules.
- Carefully examine the citation for any flaws – misspellings, incorrect logos, links, QR codes, etc.
- Evaluate the contact information on the ticket. Websites that belong to cities will always end in either .gov.
- Finally, pay with a card, as disputing an illegal charge is easier. Avoid mailing checks or cash to a suspect parking ticket.
- Look at a city’s ticketing database to double-check that you’ve been cited by an official.
Source: CBS affiliate WHNT
One driver who noticed the scam QR code shared an image of the sticker on Reddit.
“When you scan the QR code it brings you to a payment screen where you enter your card info as if you’re about to pay by app or online,” the user wrote.
“I noticed something was off when it didn’t work for either of us, but we had already entered our card info.
“The website it brought us to did not look official, the URL was strange, and the payment was defaulted as EUR not USD,” the driver said.
ParkNYC allows drivers to pay for parking at any metered parking space on a pay-as-you-go basis with no additional fees after loading an initial $25 wallet balance.
In 2019, the popular app facilitated more than 22 million parking transactions, according to a 2020 NYC DOT press release.
Now, there are roughly 80,000 ParkNYC meters across the city.
When it was first introduced, DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg said the meters would make parking in New York much easier.
“With ParkNYC, drivers no longer have to scramble for change or even walk to a Muni-Meter to get a receipt for their dashboard,” said Trottenberg.
“With no added fees, mobile alerts that let you know when your parking session is ending, and the ability to extend a session without returning to your car, ParkNYC offers a great convenience to New York drivers.”
Anyone who has been targeted by the scam should immediately call their bank or credit card company to report the crime and stay protected.
