QR codes went from a niche tool to something we scan without a second thought — for parking, restaurant menus, parcel tracking and event tickets. That trust is exactly what scammers are exploiting with "quishing" — QR code phishing — one of the fastest-growing scam categories in the UK.
Fraudsters place fake QR code stickers over genuine ones — commonly on parking meters, restaurant table cards, and delivery notices left at your door — or send QR codes directly by email or post. Scanning the code takes you to a convincing fake payment or login page instead of the real one.
Parking meters: A fake sticker replaces the genuine payment QR code, leading to a fraudulent payment page that captures your card details without ever paying for parking.
Restaurant tables: Fake menu QR codes lead to phishing pages disguised as ordering systems, sometimes requesting card details "to secure your table."
Fake parcel delivery cards: A card through your door claims a parcel couldn't be delivered and asks you to scan a QR code to "rebook" — leading to a fake courier payment page for a small "redelivery fee."
Email and post: QR codes embedded in emails or letters claiming to be from banks, HMRC or delivery companies, often used specifically because email security filters struggle to scan image-based QR codes for malicious links.
Always check the link preview your phone shows before fully opening a scanned QR code — most modern phones display this automatically. For parking and payments, use the official council app or website directly instead of scanning codes on street furniture. If a QR code sticker looks like it's been placed over another one, don't scan it, and consider reporting it to the site owner.
1. Don't enter any information — close the page immediately if you haven't already.
2. If you entered card details, contact your bank — immediately, to block the card and watch for fraudulent transactions.
3. Change any passwords you entered — on that site and anywhere else you reuse them.
4. Report it — to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk, and to the venue or council if it involved a tampered physical sticker.
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QR scams are one of many tactics fraudsters use. Removing your data from broker sites reduces how easily they can target you in the first place.
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