Portsmouth City Council has received reports of fraudulent QR codes appearing on parking meters around the city. QR codes are not used by RingGo, the popular parking app used to pay for parking in Portsmouth, so these fake codes are designed to trick users into entering their payment details on bogus websites.
These deceptive QR codes lead to unofficial websites that mimic RingGo’s official site, and they may also appear as top search results online. Scammers use these sites to steal payment information, potentially causing financial loss and parking fines for unsuspecting motorists.
Similar scam notices have been found in other areas of the country, but it’s thought that this is the first time they have been spotted in Portsmouth. When a motorist scans the fake QR code, they are in danger of having money taken, and it also may expose them to parking fines as they may not be aware that they haven’t purchased parking in the right way.
Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs) working for the council will continue to monitor council parking machines across the city and remove any unauthorised notices wherever they are spotted. The council are also in liaison with Hampshire Constabulary to ensure they are aware.
Cllr Peter Candlish, Cabinet Member for Transport said: ” We don’t use any QR codes for parking in the city, so we urge everyone to stay alert and only use official sources to prevent giving away their payment details. It’s crucial for people to use the official RingGo app to pay for parking in Portsmouth to avoid falling for scams like fake QR codes.”
RingGo is a convenient way for people to pay for parking using their smartphones. By registering their vehicles, users can swiftly complete parking transactions without needing to carry spare change. They’re also able to extend any parking sessions remotely, so they don’t need to return to the car to buy extra parking time if needed.
To ensure that people avoid being taken advantage of from scams like these, residents and visitors are strongly advised to only use the official RingGo app, which is available for download from trusted sources such as the iOS App Store, Google Play Store, or Huawei App Gallery. Alternatively, people can download the app from the official RingGo website at www.ringgo.co.uk.
If people come across a fake QR code or website that they believe is fraudulent, they can report it to the National Cyber Security Centre, and anyone who has fallen victim to this kind of scam is advised to contact their bank to stop any further funds being taken.