The Fake Payment QR Code
QR codes on car parks, café tables, bills or donation appeals that take you to a convincing but fake payment page.
What it looks like
- A sticker placed over a real QR code — on a parking machine, a restaurant table, a lamp post.
- A QR code in a letter or email inviting you to "pay your bill quickly".
- The page that opens resembles the right organisation but sits at a different address.
How to spot it
- Touch the sticker. A QR code stuck on top of another one is almost always fraudulent.
- Your phone shows the address before opening it — read that address before you pay anything.
- A padlock icon is not enough; fake sites get certificates too. What matters is that the domain is right.
- Stop if the amount differs from what you expected, or if the page asks for anything extra such as an ID number or a card PIN.
What to do
- Use the organisation's own app, or type the address yourself, rather than scanning.
- Paying in person? Use a card terminal or cash.
- Report a suspicious sticker to the business — they usually have no idea it is there.
If it already happened
- If you entered card details, have the card stopped and start a chargeback.
- If a payment went through, keep a screenshot and the recipient details.
- Tell the business, and the council if it is street furniture, so the next person does not pay it too.
Common questions
Is scanning a QR code dangerous by itself?
No. A QR code is just an address; the harm starts when you type something into the page it opens. Scan, read the address, close it if it is wrong.
My phone does not show me the address.
Most camera apps have a preview setting. If yours does not, use a scanner app that shows the destination before opening it.