A QR code on a parking meter may be fake. Going around now

The problem

Parking meters in many places now show a QR code to pay by phone. It saves finding coins, and it is a convenient way to pay. The FTC warned on 3 September 2026 that scammers are placing their own QR codes over the real ones.

A driver scans the sticker, expecting a payment page. Instead, the code can lead to a fraudulent site that tries to steal money, personal information or both.

How it can happen

The FTC's alert describes the tactic simply: scammers cover a legitimate code with a fake one. In a busy street, a sticker on a meter does not draw attention. The fake page may look like a normal parking payment page and ask for card details.

The FTC's 2023 alert had already noted reports of scammers covering up QR codes on parking meters. A QR code hides its destination until you scan it, so people cannot judge it by looking.

QR codes also arrive by text. In April 2026 the FTC warned about texts that tell you to scan a code to pay a traffic violation, sometimes with a state seal, a fake case number and a hearing date. Scanning can lead to attempts to steal information or download malware.

How to avoid it

The FTC's steps are practical.

1. Check the address. Many QR readers show a preview of the link. Look for misspellings or switched letters before you open it.
2. Look at the meter. If the code appears to be a sticker placed over another, or looks damaged, do not scan it. Use another way to pay.
3. Keep your phone updated, including its operating system and apps.
4. Use strong, unique passwords and turn on multi-factor authentication for your accounts.

If you scanned a suspicious code:

1. Do not engage with the page or anyone on it, since they may press you for money or sensitive details.
2. Change your password right away, including on other accounts where you used the same one.
3. Review your card and bank statements for charges you do not recognise.
4. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Our guide to checking a link before you click explains how to read an address, and if card details were entered, the steps in what to do after you shared a code or gave someone access apply.

Things to watch

• A QR code that looks like a sticker placed over another.
• A page address with odd spelling.
• A payment page that asks for more than card details, such as a password or Social Security number.
• A QR code in an unexpected text.
• A notice that pressures you to pay at once.

If a meter looks tampered with, paying another way costs very little time.