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Daily Record
6 days ago
- 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
6 days ago
- 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.'
Glasgow Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow City Council news, interviews and updates
There are 85 councillors elected to the council, each representing an area. Read on for all the latest Glasgow City Council news, interviews and updates. Latest Glasgow City Council news As reported by Glasgow Times, here is a selection of the latest Glasgow City Council news stories. Rennie Mackintosh-designed Glasgow school sale approved Glasgow KFC branch gets approval for late opening hours Govan short term let approved despite noise concerns Council tax - where to find your band and price breakdown You can check your band online at the Scottish Assessors Association website or on your bill. (Image: PA) The council has increased tax bands by 7.5 per cent for 2025/2026. Charges against all the bands can be viewed here. Bin collection dates Collection dates are on the council's online calendar here. If you are a kerbside bin user, go to the council's website and type your address or postcode into the search box to find your next collection day. (Image: Newsquest) The search will show the days and dates bins are due to be emptied. The council has instructed that bins must be placed out at the kerb for 7am on the collection day, with bin handles facing the road. The website instructs those who live in a flat to search their postcode or address in the 'find address' search box on the right-hand side of the page to reveal the bin day. Removing bulky items Residents in flats and main door properties can get their bulky waste removed by the council on the day before their collection date. The council said items must be placed within the property grounds and they must not obstruct bins or common pathways. Items such as cast iron washing poles, garden rollers, and metal garage doors will not be collected. The collection of a standard item is charged £5 per item, large electrical items are £5 per item, and special items are £80 per uplift. All payments can be made by credit or debit card. Contacting the council To reach out to the council, head to their MyGlasgowCC page to report, request, or pay for services 24/7. Applying for a parking permit Apply for a resident parking permit via your RingGo account: (Image: Colin Mearns) Approved permit applications will be valid for a year. The fees for each zone can be viewed at: Application to buy or renew other permits - Business permits, Event Day Resident permits, Event Day Business permits, and Event Day Resident Visitor Permits – can also be done via RingGo. Planning applications To view all planning applications, go here: Glasgow City Council school holidays The council's school term dates for 2025-2026 can be viewed here:
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Town gets 96 new parking machines
New parking payment machines are being installed in Reading after the old ones were taken out of service in April. The borough council has begun the process of replacing the old pay and display machines - which allowed drivers to pay over the phone or using the RingGo app - with 96 new ones. They will allow contactless payments by bank cards, mobile payments via apps, and about 20 of them will take cash payments. Lead councillor for transport John Ennis said the new machines would offer "a much more convenient service" for motorists. He said he recognised cash payment remained popular in some places, which the council said included the area around the Royal Berkshire Hospital. "Machines will still accept cash in these locations," he said. The old machines were bagged up in April. Of the 96 machines, 82 will be used for on-street parking, with the remainder being installed in off-street car parks. The council's review of its on-street parking service found that 55% of transactions were made using the RingGo app. RingGo's call service allows people to pay for parking without needing a smartphone. The installation of the machines clears the way for emissions-based parking charges to be introduced, which were discussed by the council's traffic management sub-committee on Wednesday. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Parking machines covered amid move to cashless Reading Borough Council
BBC News
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Reading: New parking machines being installed at 96 locations
New parking payment machines are being installed in Reading after the old ones were taken out of service in April. The borough council has begun the process of replacing the old pay and display machines - which allowed drivers to pay over the phone or using the RingGo app - with 96 new will allow contactless payments by bank cards, mobile payments via apps, and about 20 of them will take cash councillor for transport John Ennis said the new machines would offer "a much more convenient service" for motorists. He said he recognised cash payment remained popular in some places, which the council said included the area around the Royal Berkshire Hospital."Machines will still accept cash in these locations," he said. The old machines were bagged up in the 96 machines, 82 will be used for on-street parking, with the remainder being installed in off-street car council's review of its on-street parking service found that 55% of transactions were made using the RingGo call service allows people to pay for parking without needing a installation of the machines clears the way for emissions-based parking charges to be introduced, which were discussed by the council's traffic management sub-committee on Wednesday. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
