Fort Lauderdale Officials Issue Warning About New Parking Scam Using Fake QR Codes

Fort Lauderdale, FL — City officials in Fort Lauderdale are urging residents and visitors to be cautious after a new parking scam was discovered involving fraudulent QR code stickers on parking meters and “pay by phone” signs. The scheme is designed to trick people into accessing a fake payment site that aims to capture their personal and banking information.

On Wednesday, members of the city’s transportation and mobility staff came across suspicious QR code stickers during their routine rounds. Investigations revealed that these QR codes direct users to  websites, masquerading as official city payment pages but designed to harvest sensitive financial data.

The city’s parking officials have already identified at least seven locations affected by the fake QR codes. Authorities want to remind the public that Fort Lauderdale only uses legitimate QR codes at electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and coin-operated meters, where they are directly printed onto the signs rather than appearing as removable stickers.

Tips to Stay Safe from Fake QR Codes

Parking officials have provided a few key guidelines for avoiding this scam:

•Look for official QR codes: Genuine codes are only printed directly onto signs at EV and coin-operated parking locations.

•Report suspicious QR codes: If you suspect a QR code is fraudulent, report it immediately to the City of Fort Lauderdale by calling customer service at 954-828-8000, visiting the website at fortlauderdale.gov/fixitftl, or using the FixItFTL app.

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