AN EXPERT has warned residents to be cautious if parking this bank holiday weekend, amid the rise in QR code parking scams.

The warning comes following our reporter’s in-depth exploration about the increasing numbers.

The scam involves placing fake QR codes on parking machines in the hope that visitors will scan them when paying for parking over the phone. These scams can often appear during busy public holidays, such as the upcoming bank holiday.

Marc Porcar, CEO of QR Code Generator said: “According to Citizens Advice, an estimated 2.5 million people are thought to have been affected by QR code parking scams last year. With scams becoming ever more convincing, even the most technologically savvy among us remain at risk.

“QR code phishing scams are the most recent trend we are seeing among car parks across the UK. Drivers must remain aware of this type of scam and the techniques scammers are likely to employ.”

Marc Porcar, CEO of QR Code Generator, also shared his top tips for spotting fake QR codes and how to avoid being scammed when paying for a car park on a family outing.

Look for peeling edges, unusual bumps in the material, and anything else that generally looks suspicious. If the corners of the code are peeling and you can see another code underneath, this can indicate that a fake code has been stuck over the original one.

If the QR code is printed on paper, is unusually large, and covers all or part of the text on the parking meter, this is a telltale sign that it isn’t legitimate. Scammers will often inflate the size of the QR code to make it more visually obvious, to encourage customers to scan it.

Some scammers will set up a copycat website using a domain name that looks similar but is slightly different from the real thing. For example, the imposter URL could be ‘https://www.justpark.net’ while the genuine website is ‘https://www.justpark.com’.

Popular parking services such as JustPark, Ringo and PayByPhone have their own dedicated app, which you can download directly from the Apple or Google Play store.

Once you have the app downloaded, scanning the QR code should redirect you to the app to start your booking. If it doesn’t, and you are directed to a site in your browser, it is likely that you could be dealing with a phishing website.

Alternatively, the car park should have a location code, which you can enter directly into the app if unsure about the QR code’s legitimacy.

If you enter your bank details and realise that you have fallen victim to a QR code scam, make sure to check your bank account for any unauthorised transactions.

Immediately notify your bank so that they can freeze your card and hopefully issue a refund for any money you might have lost. It’s also advised to contact Action Fraud once spotted.