Overview

• Fraudsters are handing out highly convincing yellow parking Charge Notices that replicate official branding, car park names and registration plates.
• Counterfeit PCNs embed QR codes that redirect drivers to bogus payment sites where entering card details can lead to large, unauthorised withdrawals.
• Cases have climbed sharply in busy locations like retail parks, commuter hubs and seafronts, with a recent Manchester Airport couple urged to pay £170 for a five-minute stay.
• Councils, payment operators and consumer bodies have begun removing fraudulent QR stickers and alerting motorists to the risk of cloned tickets.
• Drivers are urged to verify any parking notice through official channels, resist immediate-payment pressure and avoid scanning unsolicited QR codes.