Des Moines drivers should be alert to parking scam pages, city traffic engineer John Davis tells Axios.
Why it matters: The sites can steal credit card or personal information and siphon parking fees, Better Business Bureau (BBB) warned earlier this year.
Catch up fast: DSM modernized its downtown parking system with kiosks in 2022.
- Contactless payment can be made via an app, scanning a QR code or via text.
Yes, but: The change has created the opportunity for scammers to affix imposter QR codes on parking meters, directing users to imitation payment sites, per BBB.
- Multiple cities in Texas recently warned residents that fraudulent websites appear at the top of Google searches about parking payments, resulting in people downloading bogus apps.
By the numbers: At least five people reported instances of QR code payment scams since DSM launched its kiosks, although none were verified as an issue with the parking system.
- The city assisted two others who clicked on scam payment pages after downloading third-party apps, Davis says.
What they're saying: DSM investigates all complaints which, so far, are rare, per Davis.
- "Unfortunately, malicious apps and advertisements are prevalent today and people should be vigilant to spot and report them," he said.
The big picture: Parking scams are becoming more commonplace and can extend to places like restaurant QR codes, Asaf Ashkenazi, CEO of the cybersecurity company Verimatrix , tells Axios.
Pro tip: DSM's QR codes send users to the city's website.
- Never enter payment information directly after scanning a QR code because the city's parking website is informational and does not accept payment, Davis says.
The bottom line: Protect yourself by downloading parking apps from links posted on a trusted city site .
- When downloading, try to verify the name and publisher of the app is the same as posted on that city site, Ashkenazi says.
- If you believe a QR code is bogus, you can send a screenshot and report the details to transportation@dmgov.org .
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