'Dodgy' QR codes now also being found on Auckland Transport parking meters

"Dodgy" parking QR codes have found their way to Auckland as the city's transport agency warns people to avoid them entirely.Auckland Transport said it had found a "handful of scam QR code stickers" on parking meters in the city centre last week.This comes after both Wellington and Christchurch city councils raised the alarm over similar fake QR stickers on meters across each city.AT's Head of Transport and Parking Compliance Rick Bidgood told Checkpoint AT does not use QR codes on any of its parking meters or machines and the public should be vigilant."We only picked up a very very small handful so they were dodgily placed on top of where the payment methodology should be on the payment machine"He said the codes were "not broadly spread" and only found in the lower city towards the viaduct."I do believe it takes you to a payment gateway so please don't scan it.'AT said in a Facebook post the QR codes directed people to a website that appeared legitimate, asking for details like parking duration and licence plate information before wanting them to pay.Bidgood said there have been no reports yet from the public of any scams.He said the AT team had done a sweep of the city's parking meters as part of their regular checks, but they have also alerted police.Police were urging caution about where people provide their credit card details, saying it's often an offshore scam.Detective senior sergeant Craig Bolton said people should use official apps or parking machines wherever possible."Pay close attention when you're paying for parking. If you are scanning one of these dodgy QR codes, there's a high chance the website you're being directed to is being run by an offshore scam centre."From there, the scammers will use your credit card details to wreak havoc and attempt to fraudulently use your money."Bolton said if a person does enter their details into a "dodgy website", acting fast was key."The sooner you act, the less chance scammers have to do any damage."This is not the first time fake QR codes have been spotted around the country.Last week Wellington City Council said parking staff had removed about a dozen fake stickers from parking meters around the city over the past couple of days.In July, Christchurch City Council also found fake QR code stickers on several council-owned and privately-owned parking meters.Bidgood said using debit or credit cards on the AT parking app or at parking machines was the safe option.He urged anyone who was scammed or spotted a fake QR code to contact police and AT.