Malicious QR Codes spotted on parking meters in Dublin

Several local authorities in Ireland, primarily around the capital Dublin, alerted the public on October 14, 2024, about fraudulent QR codes placed on parking meters. The scam was uncovered by a woman who, after scanning one of these codes, was redirected to a malicious website that was a clone of the legitimate payment operator’s site. She then entered her banking details, which allowed cybercriminals to steal 1,000 euros from her.

Irish authorities specified that scammers had affixed fraudulent QR codes to numerous parking meters, covering the legitimate ones used by payment operators. A similar fraud hit Nice in July 2024, where the city council announced it had removed malicious QR codes from local parking meters.

When faced with a QR code enabling payment, authorities recommend always downloading the legitimate operator’s app from a verified app store. They then advise using only that app to scan QR codes, as it will detect and block any fraudulent attempts.