Motorists are being warned to stay alert after reports of parking payment scams involving fake QR codes and contactless stickers in other parts of London.
Barking and Dagenham Council has confirmed that none of its car parks use QR codes or contactless payments. Instead, all parking payments must be made via the PayByPhone app or by calling the number displayed on official signs.
The warning follows incidents in other boroughs, where fraudsters attached fake QR code stickers to parking machines, tricking drivers into making payments to scam websites. Victims have reported losing hundreds of pounds.
What You Should Know:
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Do not scan QR codes or tap contactless stickers on parking machines in Barking and Dagenham
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Only pay using the PayByPhone app or by calling the number shown on the council’s official signage
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If you see a suspicious sticker or QR code, report it immediately
Report Scams to:
A council spokesperson added:
“We’re urging drivers to stay vigilant. These scams are clever and costly. If something looks out of place on a parking machine, don’t use it—report it.”