New scam alert: Watch out for phony parking tickets with risky QR code payments

I’ve written a lot about scams since travelers are often more susceptible to them than locals. And thanks to tech expert Rich DeMuro, travelers can be well aware of a new scam that he alerted his Facebook followers to. RELATED: Don’t fall for this scam at airports

Rich writes: “Heads up! Sneaky scammers are at it again with fake parking tickets, this time in Alhambra, California. They’re slapping these phony tickets on cars with a QR code to “pay” the fine. Here’s the thing – it’s super easy to fall for this trick. We’ve all been there, getting a ticket in some random place and just wanting to deal with it ASAP before it gets worse. That’s exactly what these scammers are counting on. If you ever get a ticket and aren’t sure, don’t panic… Go to the city’s legit parking ticket website and punch in the citation number. Getting a parking ticket is the worst, but getting scammed? That’s a whole new level of annoying.”

He later followed up with: “BTW looks like the payment portal for this particular scam has been taken down but that doesn’t mean they won’t put up a new one.”

I know this seems hyper local because it took place in Alhambra but if it’s happening there, then you can bet it’s happening in other places or that it will be soon. In my daily travel tip newsletter (sign up here), I’ve written about the dangers of falling for QR code scams  before, like in this article: Don’t fall for these QR code scams,  where hackers put their own QR code sticker over a legitimate one so always feel to see if there’s a bump or any indication that the code has been tampered with. Better yet, it’s best not to use the QR code at all, unless you’re absolutely sure it’s legitimate. Either visit the official website or call the company to purchase something or pay a fine.

One of Rich’s followers posted another scam that’s making the rounds, too. Bruce warns: “You might also mention the currently circulating FASTTRACK freeway toll scams. These are sent via text message. This is a SCAM. California Toll companies send all toll bills by US MAIL. Do not respond to any links or phone numbers in these type of text messages. An example text message is shown here. The phone number shown is part of the scam.”

Sadly, there are so many scams out there that you need to be aware of so you can avoid them. A few weeks ago, I wrote about how scammers targeted a California woman, canceled her Carnival cruise and stole her money and below are other scams to know of:

• Call the rental car company before paying a ticket
• Watch out for this scam when attending large events
• Travel writer exposes new scam involving European subways and trains
• Alert: FBI issues warning on toll road smishing scam

Want more travel news, tips and deals? Sign up to Johnny Jet’s free newsletter and check out these popular posts: The Travel Gadget Flight Attendants Never Leave Home Without and 12 Ways to Save Money on Baggage Fees. Follow Johnny Jet on MSN, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube for all of my travel posts.