ATLANTA — Scammers are targeting people in a clever way that involves technology many of us use every day – QR codes you can scan with your phone.
Channel 2 consumer advisor Clark Howard said QR codes are so easy to use and they’re even easier for criminals to steal our money.
All it takes is a quick scan. They provide quick access to restaurant menus, parking lot payments, and scooter rentals.
“I really see QR codes popping after COVID. You know, when the menu list prices and stuff seemed like they were everywhere after that,” William Robinson said.
He uses them to charge his electric car saying they are convenient and easy to use.
But that ease is making them a prime target for scammers, especially at parking spots.
A recent Instagram post warning about bogus tickets with fake QR codes near Piedmont Park prompted Atlanta police to issue a warning.
APD said most tickets are issued by ATL-Plus. If you suspect a citation is fake, you can check with the parking company and you should file a police report.
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In California, scammers placed stickers with bogus QR codes over the top of the real QR codes.
“About two minutes after I put in my information, her credit card company called her and said, ‘We have unauthorized charges here,’” said a scam victim.
The fake codes actually sent drivers to a website called “POY” by phone instead of “PAY” by phone, just one letter off – asking them to input their location and payment information.
“So, you’re actually providing your financial information and some personal information to identity criminals. They’re going to take some money out of your account to pay for the parking, but then they’re also going to have your identity information that they can misuse in other ways,” said James Lee, the Chief Operating Officer of Identity Theft Resource Center.
Lee said in many cases the scammers are counting on victims being in a hurry to pay and get somewhere.
He warned to only use QR codes from a trusted source, avoid QR codes sent through unsolicited emails or text messages, pay attention to irregularities like a sticker pasted on top of others, and try to verify the web address they link to.
It’s something Robinson said he will think about the next time he comes across a QR code.
“Now that you warned me about it, absolutely I would pay attention to that,” Robinson said.
Howard said he never uses a QR code when he is out at a strange place like a parking lot.
The City of Atlanta’s contractor pulled the QR codes at city street parking and warned not to pay by QR code.
Howard said your big danger today is at a private parking lot where they still use QR codes and they could be fake.
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