Drivers warned in Perth and Kinross after 170 fake QR codes found on parking machines

Perth residents are being warned after 170 fake QR codes appeared on parking ticket machines across the city.

Perth and Kinross Council (PKC) said it was the “largest incident of this type” after a council officer found fraudulent QR codes attached to two parking ticket machines on Wednesday night.

The counterfeit codes direct people to fraudulent websites, which are used to steal sensitive information such as bank details.

PKC’s community support and enforcement team conducted a city-wide sweep and removed 170 fake codes from ticket machines.

A spokesperson for the council has warned the public to “only use coins or the official RingGo app” when paying for parking.

A statement read: “Even signs clearly marked as not containing QR codes had been targeted.

“This represents the largest single incident of this type we’ve seen to date in Perth and Kinross. Some machines were targeted two or three times within just a few hours.

“Please always use coins or the RingGo app to pay for your parking. Remember, RingGo never uses QR codes for parking payments.

“If you are paying by app, make sure you download the official version from the App Store or Google Play.

“If you spot any QR codes claiming to let you pay for parking, or see any websites asking for parking payments that don’t direct you to the official app, please do not use them and report these to us at: ParkingServices@pkc.gov.uk.”

Police Scotland has been contacted for comment.