Fake Parking QR Code Scams: How to Pay Safely

Last verified: November 8, 2026. We read the City of Mississauga news release, the City of Detroit Municipal Parking Department alert, EasyPark's scam page, two FTC consumer alerts, the FBI's IC3 notice and a Michigan Attorney General release, all listed under Sources. Official pages can change, so check your own city's parking page before you pay.

Short answer. Do not pay for parking through a QR code sticker stuck on a meter or pay station, and do not pay a "parking invoice" you got by text. Pay with the machine's own prompts, the app your city or lot operator names on its website, or the payment page you type in yourself.

The City of Mississauga said on April 24, 2026 that QR code stickers on its parking machines "are never used to collect payment for parking." The FTC said on September 3, 2026 that people have reported scammers covering real QR codes on parking meters with their own. If you already scanned one, call your card issuer, change any password you typed in, and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

What officials have actually warned about

We list only warnings we could read on the issuer's own site. We do not know how many people have been affected, and none of these sources says, so we do not give a number.

Stickers over the real payment code

The City of Mississauga news release, published April 24, 2026, says the City learned on April 22, 2026 of fraudulent QR code stickers on Pay and Display machines in Downtown Mississauga and that staff removed roughly 80 of them. The City says "The only way to pay for City parking is through parking machines using the digital payment prompts."

The FTC consumer alert of September 3, 2026 says scammers have been "covering up legit QR codes on parking meters with a QR code of their own." The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center said in a January 18, 2022 notice that criminals "tamper with both digital and physical QR codes," including by replacing a business's payment code so payments go to the criminal.

Texts about an unpaid parking invoice

The City of Detroit's Municipal Parking Department posted an alert on December 20, 2024 about a text demanding payment for unpaid parking invoices. The City says that although the text looks like it comes from the City, "it is not." It says the web address in the text, "Detroit-mi.com," is similar to the City's website but incorrect, that the real address is detroitmi.gov, and that motorists with unpaid fees "will receive notice from the Municipal Parking Department via U.S. mail, not through text message."

The FTC's April 14, 2026 alert covers a similar text that asks you to scan a QR code to pay a traffic violation. Its advice: "don't respond, and don't scan the QR code."

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's January 14, 2026 release says fake parking tickets may ask you to pay online or use a QR code, and tells residents to visit the municipality's website directly or call the court to verify a ticket first.

Operator notices

EasyPark, a parking app operator, says on its how to spot a scam page that it will never ask you to "Use a link in an email or text message to transfer money or share personal details." That page shows no publication date. It is a European-market page, so check your own app's help page if you use EasyPark elsewhere.

What we could not confirm. We looked for an official warning from LAZ Parking about a text asking you to "verify" something and found none, so we make no claim about it. We also found no operator or city page that prints a lookalike EasyPark web address, so we do not name one.

How to tell a real payment method from a fake one

Official sources agree on a short list.

Look at the sticker. The IC3 notice says to confirm a physical code has not been covered by a sticker. Mississauga's release says any QR code on its paid parking machines is not legitimate.
Use the payment method the owner names. Check the sign on the machine or the city's parking page for approved apps and methods. Mississauga lists coins, payment apps such as Apple Pay or Google Wallet, and major credit cards at the machine.
Type the address yourself. IC3 advises making payments by manually entering a trusted URL. Detroit's example shows a lookalike address that differs from the real .gov one, and the FTC says to check for "spelling mistakes or switched letters in the link."
Treat an unexpected text as unverified. Detroit and EasyPark both say they do not collect parking payments by text link. If you think a notice could be real, look up the court or parking office yourself and call a number you already trust.
Download apps from your phone's app store, not from a code (IC3).

If you already scanned one

Stop. The FTC says not to engage with the site, because replying may lead to requests for money or sensitive information.
Call your card issuer or bank if you paid or typed card details. Mississauga's release says to contact your credit card company or financial institution right away. Use the number printed on your card.
Change passwords you entered, and anywhere you reused them (FTC).
Check statements for charges you did not make (FTC).
Report it. The FTC asks you to report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. IC3 asks for reports to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, and to your local FBI field office if funds were stolen. Also tell the city or lot owner. Mississauga asks residents to call 311. Other cities have their own number, so look on the city's parking page.

Booking parking ahead through an operator you can verify

Disclosure: ParkingAccess (PA) sells parking reservations. If you would rather not pay at a meter or pay station you have doubts about, you can reserve a spot before you travel on a site you chose and typed in yourself. PA lists event parking and airport lots, and its FAQ explains how bookings work. The same rule applies to any seller: open the site yourself, do not follow a link from an unexpected text, and compare the lot name and address with what the venue or airport publishes.

FAQ

Do parking meters ever use QR codes?

Some operators do offer app or web payment. That is why you check the owner's own signage or website. Mississauga says QR stickers on its machines are never used for payment. We have no way to speak for other cities.

I got a text about an unpaid parking ticket. Is it real?

Detroit says it notifies by U.S. mail, not text. The FTC says to look up the court or office yourself and call a number you know is correct, not one in the text.

Where do I report a suspicious sticker?

Tell the city or lot owner first, since they can remove it. Mississauga asks for calls to 311. You can also report to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Fake Parking QR Code Scams Parking Guide