Les used a QR code to download a parking app - but it was a scam
Scammers set up a monthly subscription of £60 from Les Howard's account after he downloaded an app.
Les Howard, a 61-year-old man from Widnes, found himself the victim of a QR code scam while visiting Caernarfon in North Wales. The QR code on the parking meter led him to download an app to pay for parking, but Howard became suspicious due to the need to input his card details. He deleted the app and parked elsewhere, only to receive notifications of £1 and £60 withdrawals from his bank account.
The council responsible for car parks, Cyngor Gwynedd, denied using QR codes for payments and stated they had removed fake QR code stickers from their car parks. The rise in QR code-related scams has increased by 700% in the past four years, with Report Fraud receiving 2,743 reports mentioning QR codes in the past year alone. Cybersecurity experts advise using the phone's built-in QR scanner instead of downloading separate apps and to be cautious of links disguised within QR codes.
Written by urgent.news from BBC Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
