The City of Vancouver has issued a warning to residents and visitors: beware of parking scams.
Fraudsters have been placing fake QR codes on parking meters and pay stations, the city says.
“When scanned, these codes may direct users to a fake payment website that mimics legitimate services such as PayByPhone,” it said in a warning.
“The City of Vancouver does not use QR codes for parking payments. Do not scan QR codes attached to parking meters or pay stations.”
As well, there has been an increase in fraudulent text messages claiming to be related to overdue parking tickets and requesting immediate payment, the city says.
“These messages are not legitimate,” it said in a warning.
“The City does not notify individuals of parking fines through SMS text messages or social media.”
Legitimate tickets will only ever be issued directly to a vehicle or mailed to the registered owner, it says.