Police warn of fake QR codes on New Westminster parking meters

New Westminster police are warning residents about fraudulent QR-code stickers placed on parking meters across the city. The stickers, labelled “scan to pay,” direct users to what appears to be a legitimate payment website.

The City of New Westminster does not use QR codes for parking payments, police said. Investigators say people who scanned the codes and entered their credit-card information were later targeted for fraud, with some reporting unauthorized bank withdrawals within days.

Police said one victim lost $2,000. Officers have removed numerous stickers and are investigating how they were placed on the meters and who is responsible.

Anyone who used a QR code to pay for parking in the past five days is asked to review bank and credit-card statements, report suspicious activity to their bank, and use only payment methods listed on parking meters or city signage.