Latest news with #RingGo
BBC News
5 days ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Parking: Drivers urged to look out for fake RingGo QR code scam
Police are urging motorists to be cautious after an increase in reports of QR code scams for car stickers are placed over legitimate QR codes on parking meters and signage, directing users to a fake website which is then used to steal personal and financial City Council confirmed to BBC News NI that it had removed a sticker from a pay and display machine in one of their car parks on Thursday Ulster and Ards and North Down Borough Council have also issued warnings about scams relating to the RingGo app. Last year, some of Northern Ireland's councils introduced a new cashless payment system for some of its pay and display car parks through apps like RingGo. A statement from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said it had received reports of drivers entering their credit card details into the fake portals, leading to unauthorised transactions."It's important that the public are aware of these scams and what they can do to avoid being a victim," it say they are continuing to work with councils and private car park operations to find and remove the fake stickers. How can I avoid the QR code scam? Following a surge in reports, police have issued the following advice to help motorists determine whether the QR code is legitimate:Inspect the code carefully, ensuring there are no signs of tampering or other stickers being placed on top. If you're unsure, enter the website URL manuallyUse the official parking apps instead of accessing the website via the QR codeCheck the website domain matches and ensure it is secure by looking out for https:// at the beginning of the URLReport anything suspicious to the police or parking provider immediately
BBC News
23-06-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Exeter car parks 7% price hike plan
Car park charges could go up by about 7% in Exeter with the price of a two-hour ticket in the city centre hitting nearly £ City Council is considering putting up the cost of parking across the city with a two-hour stay in a central car park going from £4.50 to £ the price increases are approved by the council's executive car parks are expected to raise about £11.5m for the authority every year.A council report says the number of car park users is expected to decrease over time and the council relies on car park income to fund many of its services. A charge for using the RingGo parking app - which has previously been covered by the council - could be passed on to the customer under the proposed report says the council's car park team will "put a greater focus on parking enforcement" as there is a "potential that customers of city centre car parks opt not to pay for parking".The city council previously announced plans to build a new temporary car park in the city centre on the site of the old bus station and has said money raised from that car park will be spent on the authority's Net Zero work.A decision is due to be made on the proposals at a meeting of the council's executive on Tuesday.
Daily Record
22-06-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Record
Motorists warned of 5 new driving scams costing Brits thousands
Fraudsters are using 5 new tactics to trick drivers out of money. Motorists are being warned to be aware of new scams targeting British drivers. Fraudsters are costing motorists thousands of pounds with five new key tactics. From tampered QR codes on parking meters to convincing fake DVLA messages - drivers are being urged stay vigilant or risk losing their hard-earned cash. In 2024, scam reports to the DVLA soared to nearly 20,000, prompting motoring experts at LeaseLoco to make drivers aware of how to spot suspicious activity and avoid being caught out. While younger drivers aged 25-34 are the most common victims of vehicle-related scams like used car fraud and bogus insurance deals, older motorists are increasingly being targeted too - with fraudsters preying on their uncertainty around online payments to issue fake parking fines. John Wilmot, CEO of car lease comparison website LeaseLoco, said: 'Unfortunately driving-related scams are really common and they work well for fraudsters because they can create a sense of urgency. 'A lot of these scams will urge you to quickly pay a fee to avoid facing bigger fines. When we see something like this we often rush to get the payment done rather than stopping and checking the legitimacy of the message or letter. 'The good news is there are ways to spot these scams which can prevent you from losing any money. 2025 scams driver should to be aware of QR codes on parking meters Scammers are placing QR code stickers onto parking meters in the hopes of tricking motorists to scan the QR code and 'pay' for their parking. To avoid being caught out, stick to using official car parking apps such as RingGo and PayByPhone. It's also worth noting that most councils won't use QR codes for payment, but will instead tend to provide a machine or stick to apps. DVLA messages Fake DVLA messages often state that your license needs updating or that your car tax has failed, forcing you to hand over sensitive information. It's important to remember that the DVLA will never ask for money or personal information via email or text. Never click on any links within these messages and only access the DVLA website through Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. PCN fines Scammers may send fake parking charge notices to your house by post, urging you to pay a fake parking charge before the fine increases. A real PCN notice will have the date, time and location of your alleged violation. If you're still unsure whether your letter is real or not you can contact the council's parking department to check if the fine is genuine. Used car sales Be wary of any car deals that look too good to be true on online marketplaces. In 2023, nearly half a million pounds was reported as lost to Facebook car scams. Scammers will often post a fake ad for a car at a very low price and ask people interested for an upfront payment via bank transfer. They avoid having anyone come and see the car in person by claiming to be abroad too. When purchasing a used car, never make a payment before seeing the car in person and check the vehicle history on the government website. Toll or congestion charge messages Drivers can receive messages claiming they owe money for crossing a toll or congestion zone followed by a 'pay now' link. Before opening any links, remember that any genuine toll notifications will come from or other verified operators such as TfL, M6 Toll and Dart Charge for Dartford Crossing.
Daily Record
16-06-2025
- Daily Record
Scammers using fake QR codes on parking meters to con Scots drivers
Trading Standards Scotland issued a warning after recent reported cases of 'quishing' in Perthshire, just weeks after figures revealed a 14-fold increase in the scams in the space of five years. Scammers are using fake QR codes on parking meters to dupe Scots out of cash across the country, experts have warned. Trading Standards Scotland issued a warning after reported cases of 'quishing' in Perthshire, just weeks after figures revealed a 14-fold increase in scams linked to the codes designed to be scanned by mobile phones in the space of five years. The watchdog has also investigated reports of fake barcodes being used in Aberdeenshire, Argyll and Bute, Edinburgh, Dundee, Glasgow, South Lanarkshire and East Lothian council areas. Victims found fake codes had been stuck on top of legitimate codes on parking meters, directing them to sites aimed at stealing data, installing malware, or tricking users into giving away sensitive information. The scam comes at a time when organised crime gangs have been identified as being behind a sharp rise in QR frauds. Trading Standards Scotland said: 'QR codes are commonly used in car parks or at electric car charging points to allow people to pay without using cash. However, in some areas, criminals are sticking their own codes on top of the legitimate ones on parking meters. 'There have been recent reports from Perthshire of stickers with scam QR codes being stuck onto parking meters. The stickers have the logo of parking app RingGo, but lead to a malicious website which is designed to gather customers' payment and personal details. 'Scanning a fake QR code could also allow scammers to access other functions and apps on your phone. In addition, anyone who scans a scam QR code in a car park will not realise that they have not in fact paid for their parking, and so could also end up being fined by the council or owner of the car park.' In April, the national fraud reporting centre, Action Fraud, received 1,386 reports of people being targeted last year using QR codes, compared with 100 in 2019. Contactless payment hotspots - like parking meters and restaurant menus - have been reported as common targets. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Over the past five years, Action Fraud received almost 3,000 reports in total. Katherine Hart, lead officer at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said the reporting centre had seen 'huge amounts lost this way', with people's life savings being drained by finance criminals. Hart said quishing was significantly under-reported and now presented a 'huge challenge' to authorities around the world. Trading Standards Scotland said most councils don't use QR codes on their parking meters and have issued advice on how to avoid the scam. The RAC advises to avoid using the codes altogether when making a payment at a council-owned car park, electric vehicle charge points and private car parks, instead using an official app downloaded from your smartphone's app store. If you do decide to use the QR code, check to see if it has been stuck over another code. Review the preview of the QR code's URL before opening it to see if it appears legitimate. Make sure the website uses HTTPS rather than HTTP, doesn't have obvious misspellings and has a trusted domain. If you are worried that you have made a payment to a scam website after scanning a QR code, check your bank transactions and contact your bank. Victims are urged to contact the police and report incidents to National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
Daily Record
16-06-2025
- Daily Record
Parking scams warning for South Lanarkshire drivers
A fake QR payment code was found in a council car park and a driver received a scam text message calling for payment of a fine Drivers across South Lanarkshire have been warned about parking scams using fake QR codes in the area's public car parks and text messages demanding payment of fines. Council officials have issued the advice after discovering a fake scannable barcode stuck to a sign in one of the local authority's car parks; while a member of the public also reported a text message demanding a payment. The authority shared the warning on its website and social media channels, saying: 'Please do not respond to any texts requesting parking fine payments and do not use QR codes to pay for any parking.' South Lanarkshire officials say that only its coin-operated parking payment machines or the official RingGo parking app should be used to pay for use of the authority's 21 chargeable car parks. A fake QR code was found stuck to a sign in one of the council-run car parks; while the parking unit also received a report of a scam text message demanding that the recipient 'please pay a parking penalty charge notice issued by a local council'. It stated that payment should be made within 28 days or the charge would be increased by 50 per cent, adding: 'If you do not pay you'll be prosecuted – you may have to pay a bigger fine as well as court costs.' Head of roads and transportation Colin Park said: 'Similar messages have been doing the rounds over the last year so we would like to highlight that the council will never send members of the public a text message requesting payment. 'Please do not respond to any texts requesting parking fine payments, and do not use QR codes to pay for any parking.'
