Car park QC code scams: And what are some of the most common scams in the country?

Citizen’s Advice has found some of the most common scams Brits may encounter.

Transcript

00:00One scam which has been known to catch people out in the region is the car park QR scam.

00:07I spoke to a spokesperson from the RAC to find out more about this topic.

00:13So we're really warning people to the best thing to do is just not to use a QR code,

00:20especially if they look like they've been stuck onto the parking sign. You can generally tell

00:26because they look, maybe they're too big, maybe they're obscuring some of the proper information below.

00:31But if you just don't use them and resort to paying either by cash or card or by an official app,

00:38then you will be safe.

00:39The criminals use technology too and they work out the best ways to scam people.

00:46And obviously people are very much on their guard for things coming through their email,

00:49but they're not so much on guard for signs they see in public.

00:52They see a car parking sign. This tends to happen at local authority run car parks.

00:58They see what looks like an official sign and they don't realize that the code has actually been,

01:02the QR code has actually been stuck onto the sign.

01:05And so they feel more safe because they're in a public environment.

01:08And it's just a great way for scammers to take advantage of drivers.

01:12The government is actually working on what's called the national parking platform.

01:17So, of course, drivers are a bit fed up of having to use multiple apps.

01:20So you could you could be faced with using two, three, four, even five different apps,

01:26depending where you go to pay for parking.

01:28So the government's realized that and what they're working on is the national parking platform.

01:32And that basically will allow you to choose your favorite app, the one you like using most of all.

01:38And wherever you go, you should be able to pay for parking with that app.

01:41If you think the QR code is being stuck on, take a picture and actually send it to your local authority and get them to go out and check it.

01:50A report by Citizens Advice highlighted the most common financial scams targeting consumers over the past year,

01:57with millions affected and with some experiencing more than one type of fraud.

02:02Fake debt advice on social media is a common scam.

02:06An estimated three million people were targeted after searching for debt help online.

02:11Scammers set up fake accounts offering financial advice, then use online forms to harvest personal data.

02:19Friend in need scams is another one where fraudsters pose as someone the victim knows,

02:24often to ask for money or to trick them to access personal accounts.

02:28Friend in need scams is another one where fraudsters pose as someone the victim's