Start here
The free tool below runs entirely in this browser — no account, nothing stored or transmitted. Redact anything you would not want kept before you type it.
Open the companion tool →Why the QR code is the whole attack
A printed code carries no visible domain, and phones rarely show the destination before opening a payment page. The reader's habit of paying quickly is the vulnerability.
Checking takes ten seconds: reach the operator through a number or site you looked up yourself, and compare the domain on the page with the one the operator publishes.
The protocol
- Photograph the sign, sticker, and surrounding area before touching anything.
- If you already scanned, close the page without entering payment details.
- Find the official parking payment route — the operator's own app, a phone number painted on the meter, or the city's parking page.
- Compare the domain you reached with the operator's published domain, and note the difference.
- Report the sticker to the operator or city and keep the photo with the report reference.
What the tool does
Build a QR payment-link audit It runs locally in this browser and sends nothing.
Limit first: This is a preparation and verification aid, not fraud investigation, financial or legal advice. It cannot recover money, confirm an identity, or prove that a message, call, or payment request is fraudulent.
Open the companion tool →Cost and free path
Cost: Free: one complete run in this browser, no account. Optional $4 one-time unlock allows unlimited runs of this tool on this browser. The free path and safety guidance never require payment.
Automated decision this documents: printed QR code redirected to an attacker-controlled payment page
Free path, in order (no cost):
- The parking operator's official phone number (printed on the meter or the city's parking page)
- FTC — ReportFraud.ftc.gov for the sticker pattern
- Your card issuer's fraud line, using the number on the back of your card
What this cannot do: It cannot recover money, confirm an identity, or prove that a message, call, or payment request is fraudulent.
Sources checked 2026-10-03 · source bank reviewed against the live pages listed in metadata.
One human next step
Call the parking operator or city department responsible for the site and send the photo. If you entered card details, call your card issuer, ask to block the merchant, and dispute the charge in writing.
Research log and safety checks
AI-assist path: not used for a verdict. This builder organises the reader's own documents and names an independent source; it does not infer authenticity, eligibility, or legal rights. §6.9/§6.10/§6.11 disclosed in the batch report; §6.12 status line carried in metadata as `status_line`.
§0.5 protection result: category is scam-fraud-defense; crisis-adjacent: no; fear/urgency/scarcity toolkit used: no. The protective function is free and the paid feature is convenience only.