'Scan to Pay': Baltimore officials warn of fake QR pay-to-park code

BALTIMORE- The Parking Authority of Baltimore City is warning drivers about stickers with QR codes that encourage drivers to pay by scanning the code.

They say the stickers are not legitimate. 

Paying to park seems easy enough – but now you may want to look twice.

 "I had no idea the parking scam was going on," Baltimore resident Cary Kelly said.

Kelly told WJZ she recently moved to Baltimore and she often parks downtown.

She was surprised to learn that stickers with QR codes are showing up on meters and parking machines, encouraging drivers to scan the code to pay for parking.

"I am so grateful to have found out about it because I would have probably fallen for something like that," Kelly said. 

According to the Parking Authority of Baltimore City, scammers have been placing stickers on parking meters and machines that say "Scan to Pay." 

City officials say the stickers are not legitimate and drivers need to be careful. 

"I live around here, I park on the street, so I made note of it," said Emily Folsom, a downtown resident. 

The Parking Authority says the correct way to pay for parking at a machine or meter is to follow the instructions on the display. 

"I will be keeping my eyes open everywhere," Kelly said. 

The Authority says they are removing the stickers as they find them. 

"The more we kind of spread the word, people can start to be cautious, and maybe if it is not successful for the nefarious people doing this, maybe they'll stop," Kelly said.  

If you see a QR code, the Parking Authority says do not scan it, but rather report it directly to parking officials. 

If you would like to report a sticker to be removed, please email: ezparkmeters@bcparking.com.