BUFFALO — The Better Business Bureau is advising people to watch out for a new twist on an old scam.
Scammers are using new technology to create fake parking tickets that look surprisingly official, BBB officials said in a news release. It could be a scam if people receive a parking ticket but are confident they parked legally.
“This one actually happened to me when I was on vacation this past summer in Philadelphia,” said Matt Krueger, communications director for Better Business Bureau of Upstate New York. “I parked in the ramp attached to the hotel where we were staying and found a ticket on my windshield. After checking with hotel staff, we discovered it was fake.”
You park in a legal parking zone or pay to park on the street or in a garage. While you are away from your car, scammers use high-tech, hand-held printers to make a fake ticket and leave it on your car’s windshield.
This phony citation usually asks you to pay online or via PayPal. One recent case used a QR code to direct victims to a fake payment website. If you follow the instructions, you’ll end up paying a fine you don’t owe. Also, your personal information will now be in the hands of scammers.
One parker reported the following experience to BBB: “I paid $15 to park in a garage and received a receipt for it, which I displayed on my dashboard. However, I then…
