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Vancouver parking ticket texts and QR code stickers: both are scams

The City of Vancouver says it does not notify people of parking fines by text or social media, and it does not use QR codes for parking payments. A text about an overdue ticket, or a QR sticker on a meter or pay station, leads to a fake payment site. Pay with the PayByPhone app you downloaded yourself, a card at the machine or coins. If you entered card details, call your card company now.

Last reviewed . Written by Jeyki Security, free to use and print.

Two parking scams have been running in Vancouver at the same time, and they feed the same fake websites.

Scam one: the overdue parking ticket text

A text says you have an unpaid parking fine and must pay today to avoid a penalty, a tow or a court date. It links to a site that looks like a city or PayByPhone payment page. The City of Vancouver says it does not send parking fine notices by text or social media.

If you get one:

  1. Do not tap the link or reply.
  2. Forward it to 7726 (SPAM), then delete it.
  3. If you think you might really have a ticket, look for the paper ticket and check through the City’s website by typing vancouver.ca yourself.

Scam two: QR code stickers on meters and pay stations

Scammers stick their own QR codes on parking meters and pay stations. Scanning one opens a fake payment page that copies PayByPhone. You enter your card, and the scammer has it. The City says it does not use QR codes for parking payment at all.

Safe ways to pay:

  • The PayByPhone app, downloaded from the App Store or Google Play by searching for it yourself.
  • A card at the meter or pay station, where accepted.
  • Coins.

If you see a QR sticker on a meter, do not scan it. Report it through the Van311 app or by calling 3-1-1 so the City can remove it.

  1. Call your card company on the number on the back of your card. Say the payment went to a scam site and ask for a new card.
  2. Check your statement for small “test” charges over the next few weeks.
  3. If you created an account or reused a password on the fake site, change that password everywhere you used it.
  4. Report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre on 1-888-495-8501 or at reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca.

A related text pretends to be from ICBC about a traffic ticket. See ICBC scam texts.

Common questions

Does the City of Vancouver text you about parking tickets?

No. The City says it does not notify people of parking fines through text messages or social media. A text asking you to pay a ticket through a link is a scam.

Can I pay for parking in Vancouver with a QR code?

No. The City says it does not use QR codes for parking payments. A QR sticker on a meter or pay station is fake. Pay with the PayByPhone app, a card at the machine where accepted, or coins.

I scanned a QR code on a parking meter and paid. What should I do?

Call your credit card company now on the number on the back of your card, tell them the payment was to a scam site and ask for a new card. Then report the sticker through the Van311 app or by calling 3-1-1 and report the fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Is it only Vancouver?

No. Fake QR stickers have also been found in other BC communities, including Whistler and Kelowna. The same rule applies everywhere: download the parking app from your phone's app store yourself, never through a sticker.

How do I check whether I really have a parking ticket?

Look for a paper ticket on your car and use the City of Vancouver's own website, typed into your browser, to look it up or pay. Do not use any link from a text.

Sources

  1. Parking ticket text and QR code scams, City of Vancouver (June 2026)
  2. City of Vancouver issues warning about QR code parking scam, Daily Hive (December 2025)
  3. Fraudulent QR code stickers found in Whistler parking lots, CTV News
  4. Reporting spam text messages to 7726, Get Cyber Safe (Government of Canada)
  5. Report cybercrime and fraud, National Cybercrime and Fraud Reporting System

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