Britain’s Parking Scams Problem

Even with all the tech in today's new cars, parking is arguably one of the most anxiety-inducing parts of driving for many of us, but increasingly it’s becoming something else too. A way of scammers getting away with your hard-earned cash.

It’s a booming business now, and ever so sophisticated, with everything from fake QR codes (Quishing), fraudulent payment apps, and scam parking fine texts being sent to bamboozle us as we just try to park our large cars into criminally small spaces.

Latest stats from Action Fraud estimate that this kind of fraudulent activity has cost the UK motorist £3.5 million between April 2024 and April 2025.

We wanted to know more so we surveyed the nation, revealing just how widespread the issue has become.

What is Quishing?

Quishing is a term used to describe fraud using fake QR codes. It’s one of the most commonly used types of fraud for tricking motorists into making parking payments or sharing personal information.

It is usually carried out by placing fake QR code stickers over legitimate ones on parking machines or signage. When scanned, drivers are directed to convincing-looking websites that mimic genuine parking payment services. You’ll be asked to give up personal information and payment details, which are then taken by the scammers.

Parking scams, who’s been affected?

Our survey found that nearly one in five drivers (19%) have been scammed when trying to park, with a disproportionate amount of younger and middle-aged motorists being affected. More than a quarter of both 18-24-year-olds and 35-44-year-olds (28%) say they’ve been scammed, compared to just 9% of drivers aged over 55. The skew towards the younger generation being scammed more could be down to their willingness to use mobile apps and QR code payments more.

From a regional standpoint, Greater London residents are more likely to have been scammed than anyone else (28%), closely followed by the North West (27%) and Scotland (22%).

By contrast, Wales appears to be the least affected, with just 8% reporting being scammed.

Region most affected by parking scams

​Interestingly, when it comes to cities, Manchester is the most affected overall, with 31% saying they’ve fallen victim, ahead of Edinburgh (24%) and London with 23%. Cardiff is the least affected city overall at only 7%.

City most affected by parking scams

​If you've been lucky enough not to have been scammed yourself, the likelihood is that you may know someone who has. Over a third (34%) of the UK say they know someone who has been scammed, but for those aged between 25-34, the amount is much higher, with half (49%) saying they know someone who has fallen victim.

Parking scam awareness

Being aware of parking scams is the first step in helping stem the number of people affected, but there's still work to be done here. We found that two-fifths of drivers (42%) say they would scan a QR code to pay for parking without question, including a staggering 62% of 25-34 year olds, which is very trusting of them.

And confidence around identifying scams remains low too, with 42% of drivers saying they believe they would know how to recognise a parking scam. Similarly, less than half (41%) say they would know what to do if they encountered one, suggesting that work needs to be done to help people recognise the tell-tale signs.

Looking at the difference between genders, men (51%) say they are more confident in spotting a scam than women (33%). However, this confidence might be misplaced, as 23% of men said they had actually been scammed versus 15% of women.

So what are local authorities across the UK doing to make people more aware?

Councils, including the City of York Council, Sunderland City Council, and Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, have all issued public warnings after discovering fake QR-code stickers attached to parking machines. Other councils, such as Walsall, have gone so far as to tell people never to use QR codes for parking payments at all.

The messaging seems to be getting through, with over half of drivers (53%) saying they are now aware of parking scams thanks to local council or government messaging.

Alex Lee, Automotive Expert at Dick Lovett had this to say:

“The survey findings are sobering, with one in five drivers having been a victim of a parking scam and a further 34% knowing someone who has fallen victim, it shows that this is becoming more widespread and sophisticated. These scams look legitimate, which is why so many motorists are being caught out, but it is good to see so many councils taking the initiative to bring awareness to the issue, it seems to be getting through slowly.”

Parking stress

Being the victim of a scam is stressful, but what our survey found is that parking apps are also contributing to drivers' stress levels too.

What we discovered was that almost three in five motorists (59%) say parking payments are a source of stress, with women (64%) more stressed than men (54%).

Almost three in five motorists (58%) say they’ve experienced issues with parking apps when trying to park. Younger drivers are particularly likely to encounter problems, with two-thirds (65%) of 25-34 year olds reporting app related issues.

The apps that are meant to make parking payments simpler seem to be having the opposite effect, with 67% of drivers saying they would prefer paying at a machine over using an app. This is felt the most amongst over 55s, with 78% saying they prefer traditional payment methods.

There are a number of factors at play here, from having to have multiple different apps depending on the car park, having to rely on good signal quality, as well as lengthy registration processes. And God forbid you have travelled without your bank card and need to register with a new parking app, this is another world of hurt and frustration that drivers all over the country will be familiar with.

It's no surprise then, that almost three-quarters of drivers (73%) say they would prefer a single universal parking app.

Aside from easing stress and frustration levels for drivers, a single app could also help combat the scammers. It is known that scammers exploit moments of confusion, and it could be said that the plethora of parking apps drivers are expected to navigate do just that.

Check before you go

Whilst we don't have full control over what scammers do or what parking apps we have to use, we can regain some control by being prepared before we head out to a new destination.

Over two-thirds (71%) of drivers get raised anxiety levels when visiting a new destination as they are unsure about parking. Women seem to be more affected by this, with nearly four in five (79%) saying this is an issue, compared to 63% of men.

We are at least taking matters into our own hands to try and alleviate this anxiety, with more than two-thirds of motorists (68%) saying they now check parking arrangements before visiting somewhere new, rising to three quarters of 35 - 44-year-olds.

A sensible thing to do.