RELATED: If You Get This Call from Police, Hang Up Immediately, Authorities Warn. Thanks in no small part to the pandemic, QR codes—which stand for “quick response” codes— have gone from being a niche tech tool to the way we access everything from takeout menus to tax forms, all by simply using your smartphone’s camera. But according to police, they’re also being used by scammers to trick drivers out of sensitive information, Ars Technica reports.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb On Dec. 20, the San Antonio Police Department issued a public warning that fraudsters were sticking the scannable squares to public meters, saying that “people attempting to pay for parking using those QR codes may have been directed to a fraudulent website and submitted payment to a fraudulent vendor.” Unsuspecting victims who used the codes while attempting to pay for parking were actually handing over their credit card information to fraudsters. Unfortunately, police also reported similar parking scams to have taken place in Austin and Houston. While they may now be seen as a handy tool that can direct your phone’s web browser where it needs to go, experts point out that QR codes also have drawbacks when it comes to security. They warn that the ease of pulling up a website using the scannable squares also means it can be hard to know when you’ve been directed to a fraudulent or malicious website, The Verge reports. “We don’t use QR codes at all for this very reason, because they are easy to fake or place on the devices,” Jason Redfern, Austin parking division manager, told local NBC affiliate KXAN. “And we heard from industry leaders that this would be a possibility,” adding that the city only accepts payments of cash, coins, or credit card at the meter or through the use of the city’s mobile payment app.
RELATED: For more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. According to a press release from Austin city officials, the city is still “continuing to inspect the City’s more than 900 pay stations to ensure there are no additional QR codes in use.” However, they still urge people to file a police report by dialing 3-1-1 if they notice a code on a meter. But, Redfern said: “Absolutely do not take a picture of it or use your camera anywhere near that QR code.” If you believe you may have accidentally fallen for the scam, you should also take action. “Any person who believes they were a victim of a credit card breach due to recent parking meter payments should file a police report and notify their card issuer immediately,” the city said in its statement. Even though the only reported parking QR code scams so far have taken place in Texas, law enforcement around the U.S. is warning that copycat fraudsters could attempt the same crime. On Jan. 12, the Massachusetts State Police issued a warning of the scam via Twitter, urging citizens in the Bay State to be on the lookout for similar “phishing” tactics. Instead of scanning with your phone, officials say you should keep paying the city directly through a municipal app or using cash or a credit card at designated meters. RELATED: If You Get This Message from Your Bank, Contact Authorities, FBI Says.