Houston Drivers Warned About Fake Parking Tickets with QR Codes

Warning: Fraudulent Parking Citations in Houston

• ⚠️ Fake parking tickets are being distributed on cars in downtown Houston, designed to scam drivers.
• 💡 These fraudulent tickets often mimic official city seals and may include a QR code for payment, which is a key indicator of a scam.
• 💰 Drivers paying these fake tickets are essentially losing money to scammers who have stolen the city's logo.

How to Identify Fake Parking Tickets

• 🔍 A significant red flag is the presence of a QR code on the citation; Park Houston does not use QR codes for parking tickets.
• 📄 Real tickets are printed on special paper, feature a red seal, and come in a green envelope, containing detailed information like vehicle make, model, and license plate.
• ✍️ Alternatively, real tickets can be handwritten on duplicate paper, with the officer leaving a pink copy.

What to Do If You Receive a Suspicious Ticket

• 🗑️ If you encounter a parking citation with a QR code, crumple it up and discard it.
• 📞 If you receive a fake printed ticket or a scam text message about parking citations, report it to Park Houston and the Houston Police Department.
• 💻 To verify if a ticket is legitimate, you can chat with Park Houston online by entering your license plate number to check for open citations or late fees.