Suddenly numerous cases Nasty scam at parking machines - police warn

Sven Ziegler

9.7.2024

Practical: cashless payment of parking fees via smartphone and QR code.
Practical: cashless payment of parking fees via smartphone and QR code.
Urs Flüeler/Keystone

Fraudsters in various towns in the canton of Vaud are using fake QR code stickers to trick unsuspecting users into paying parking fees at parking machines.

9.7.2024

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  • A new phishing scam is on the rise in the Vaud region.
  • Fraudsters are using fake QR codes to try to obtain credit card information during the payment process.
  • The fake QR code stickers are stuck to parking and cash machines, as well as shop windows and petrol stations.

Fraudsters are currently attaching fake QR codes in the form of stickers to parking machines, which redirect customers to a phishing page when paying the parking fee, warns the Vaudois police. Petrol stations, shop windows and ATMs are also affixed with the malicious stickers.

The aim of the fraudsters is to steal credit card information. Since the beginning of July, the police authorities in the French-speaking cantons of Switzerland have registered several cases of this nasty new scam in the Vaud region, reports "Blick".

The police call for caution and give a tip: it is best to use the app of the respective provider directly to pay. QR codes are susceptible to scams, according to the police.