warning_date stringdate 2021-12-20 00:00:00 2026-10-01 00:00:00 | city stringlengths 5 24 | state stringclasses 9
values | issuing_agency stringlengths 15 72 | location_type stringclasses 9
values | source_name stringlengths 4 36 | source_url stringlengths 41 139 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021-12-20 | San Antonio | TX | San Antonio Police Department | parking meters | KSAT | https://ksat.com/news/local/2021/12/20/sapd-warns-of-qr-code-scam-targeting-public-parking-spots |
2022-01-04 | Austin | TX | Austin Transportation (City of Austin) | on-street pay stations | Austin Monitor | https://austinmonitor.com/stories/2022/01/fake-qr-codes-found-on-city-parking-stations |
2022-01-05 | Houston | TX | ParkHouston (City of Houston) | on-street pay stations | City of Houston | https://www.houstontx.gov/parking/20220105.html |
2022-01-13 | Statewide | MA | Massachusetts State Police | parking meters | Boston.com | https://www.boston.com/news/crime/2022/01/13/massachusetts-state-police-warns-drivers-of-new-parking-meter-scam/ |
2024-02-01 | Baltimore | MD | Parking Authority of Baltimore City | parking meters | WMAR-2 News | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/someones-trying-to-scam-people-parking-in-the-city |
2024-08-25 | Redondo Beach | CA | City of Redondo Beach | parking meters | ABC7 Los Angeles | https://abc7.com/post/redondo-beach-warns-drivers-parking-meter-scam-involving-fake-qr-codes/15228924/ |
2024-10-04 | San Francisco | CA | San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) | parking pay machines | KRON4 | https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/sfmta-finds-fake-qr-code-stickers-on-fishermans-wharf-parking-machines/ |
2024-11-14 | Fort Lauderdale | FL | City of Fort Lauderdale | parking meters and pay-by-phone signs | NBC 6 South Florida | https://nbcmiami.com/news/local/fort-lauderdale-officials-warn-of-qr-code-scam-on-parking-meters-and-signs/3472576 |
2024-11-25 | Rochester | MI | Rochester Police Department | parking meters | C & G Newspapers | https://www.candgnews.com/news/scammers-use-bogus-qr-codes-on-parking-meters-to-cash-in-7080 |
2024-12-17 | Miami | FL | Miami Parking Authority | parking signs and meters | WLRN | https://www.wlrn.org/news-in-brief/2024-12-17/miami-parking-authority-qr-codes |
2024-12-31 | Detroit | MI | Detroit Municipal Parking Department / police | parking meters | WILX | https://www.wilx.com/2024/12/31/officials-warn-self-parking-scam-texts-qr-codes/ |
2025-04-24 | Walnut Creek | CA | Walnut Creek Police Department | parking meters | CBS San Francisco | https://cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/walnut-creek-police-downtown-parking-scam |
2025-05-22 | Fort Lauderdale | FL | City of Fort Lauderdale | parking meters and signs | WLRN | https://www.wlrn.org/news-in-brief/2025-05-22/fort-lauderdale-qr-code-scams |
2025-06-03 | Orlando | FL | City of Orlando | parking meters | ClickOrlando (WKMG) | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2025/06/03/warning-issued-over-fake-qr-codes-on-downtown-orlando-parking-meters-heres-what-to-know/ |
2025-06-06 | New York | NY | NYC Department of Transportation | parking meters | NYC DOT press release | https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/pr2025/nyc-dot-issues-parking-meter-scam-advisory.shtml |
2025-07-03 | Waldorf (Charles County) | MD | Charles County Sheriff's Office | parking lot payment signs | Charles County Sheriff's Office | https://www.ccso.us/press-releases/16149/ |
2025-07-29 | Denver | CO | Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure | parking signs | Denver7 | https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/scammers-are-posting-fake-qr-codes-on-denver-parking-signs-city-asks-for-help |
2025-12-04 | Pinellas County | FL | Pinellas County Sheriff's Office | parking meters, signs and pay stations | FOX 13 Tampa Bay | https://www.fox13news.com/news/pinellas-county-sheriffs-office-warns-qr-code-scams |
2026-01-05 | Raleigh | NC | City of Raleigh | parking meters | ABC11 | https://abc11.com/post/raleigh-parking-meter-scam-city-warns-people-fake-qr-codes-trying-get-financial-information/18356134/ |
2026-02-25 | Asheville | NC | City of Asheville | parking meters | Fox Carolina | https://www.foxcarolina.com/2026/02/25/city-asheville-warns-fake-qr-code-stickers-parking-meters/ |
2026-09-30 | New York (Manhattan) | NY | Manhattan District Attorney's Office and NYC Department of Investigation | parking meters | NYC DOI / Manhattan DA press release | https://www.nyc.gov/assets/doi/press-releases/2026/September/Enescu.DANY.09.30.2026.pdf |
2026-10-01 | Ann Arbor | MI | Ann Arbor Police Department | parking meters | WXYZ | https://www.wxyz.com/news/fake-qr-code-stickers-found-on-ann-arbor-parking-meters-police-warn-drivers-of-scam |
U.S. Parking QR Code Scam Warnings
22 official U.S. warnings about fake QR code stickers on parking meters, pay stations and parking signs, December 2021 to October 2026, each issued or confirmed by a city, parking authority, sheriff, police department or prosecutor. Updated November 5, 2026: 9 warnings added, New York re-sourced to NYC DOT's own advisory, and one row without an official issuer removed.
Key facts
- The first U.S. warning was San Antonio police on December 20, 2021, followed by Austin and Houston in January 2022.
- Florida has 5 warnings: Fort Lauderdale (twice), Miami, Orlando and Pinellas County.
- On September 30, 2026, the Manhattan District Attorney and NYC Department of Investigation announced charges in a parking-meter QR scheme.
For the worldwide list (125 warnings, 18 countries) see winsparking/parking-qr-code-scam-warnings-global.
from datasets import load_dataset
warnings = load_dataset("winsparking/us-parking-qr-code-scam-warnings")
About the publisher
Compiled by Park Graph, QR code parking payment software for lots of every size across the United States. Park Graph replaces gates, meters and kiosks with one printed sign, and its patent-pending protections stop fake QR stickers. See how QR code parking payment works or compare plans.
Related datasets
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- winsparking/us-city-parking-meter-rates
- winsparking/us-parking-app-fees
- winsparking/us-truck-parking-by-state
- winsparking/parking-qr-code-scam-warnings-global
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License and citation
CC BY 4.0. Every row links to its public source.
Cite as: Park Graph, "U.S. Parking QR Code Scam Warnings," November 5, 2026, https://huggingface.co/datasets/winsparking/us-parking-qr-code-scam-warnings, CC BY 4.0.
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