Warning over car park QR code scam

Similar fake QR codes recently appeared in Cheltenham

People are being asked to look out for fake QR codes which are being left on pay and display machines in Telford.

Stickers have been placed on a number of machines around Ironbridge and Telford Town Park which take users to a fraudulent website.

Telford and Wrekin Council said if it looked like the code had been added as a sticker, it was probably fake and it has asked people to remove them and report the location.

A Facebook group in Ironbridge has said people using the link on the QR code could lose £500 from their account if they mistakenly supplied their bank details.

The stickers are often added over legitimate QR codes to make them look genuine.

One person in the Facebook group said he had removed fake codes from car parks in the Gorge, posting a photo showing at least seven stickers.

Similar fake QR codes were recently spotted in Cheltenham and the local council there urged people who had used them to contact their bank at the earliest opportunity.

Two weeks ago Telford and Wrekin Council alerted people to a similar scam involving fake text messages being sent to people, claiming they had to pay a fixed penalty notice.