Parking lots can be surprisingly hectic places. Between all the people making their way to or from their vehicles, there’s also plenty of chaotic traffic as cars come in and out of spaces. But they can also be home to other hazards besides an unattended shopping cart in your blind spot. And now, police are warning that you should never get out of your car if this one thing happens in a parking lot. Read on to see how you can keep yourself safe the next time you run errands.
READ THIS NEXT: If You Get a Call From These Numbers, “Don’t Believe Your Caller ID,” FBI Says in New Warning.
Being safe in the car has always involved paying attention to your surroundings and following the rules of the road. But besides accidents, your vehicle could also endanger you to scammers and other criminals who might be looking to take advantage of you—especially in parking lots.
This past summer, officials in Fairfax County, Virginia, and Atlanta, Georgia, said they had received reports of bogus parking tickets left on people’s cars. Even though they were designed to appear authentic and used official-sounding language similar to local citations, the slips actually contained a QR code that sent drivers to a phony fines collection website where they would unwittingly enter their payment information.
Other fraudsters have taken to using the same technology in a different way. Late last…
