Fake QR Codes on Parking Meters in Ypres Target Rally Visitors Ahead of Weekend Event

Scammers have placed fraudulent QR code stickers on parking meters in the Belgian city of Ypres (Ieper), directing victims to a fake website that charges up to €10 per hour for parking — far above the official rate. The discovery comes just days before the Ypres Rally weekend, which draws thousands of visitors to the West Flanders city.

Discovery and Response

An alert parking attendant noticed the suspicious stickers on Wednesday, June 24, on meters at the Grote Markt and in the Diksmuidestraat. The city immediately inspected the entire city center and removed all fake codes under police supervision, according to Het Laatste Nieuws.

Mayor Katrien Desomer (Team Ieper) confirmed that the city has filed a complaint against unknown persons. “An alert parking attendant of the city noticed that QR codes had been placed on our parking meters,” Desomer said. “They were certainly not from the city and during the investigation it turned out that whoever scanned the code ended up on a fraudulent website where you would have to pay up to 10 euros per hour for parking.”

Timing Linked to Ypres Rally

The mayor said the timing of the scam is likely connected to the Ypres Rally, a major annual motorsport event taking place this weekend. “Many people from outside Ypres will come to our city in the coming days and are not used to our parking meters,” Desomer told VRT NWS.

The rally attracts thousands of visitors from across Belgium and neighboring countries, creating a pool of potential victims unfamiliar with local parking systems. The 2026 edition is also taking place during a heatwave, with organizers implementing extraordinary heat measures including extra ambulances and a 20-person medical aid station.

A Growing Trend: “Quishing” in Belgium

This type of fraud, known as “quishing” — a portmanteau of QR code and phishing — has been on the rise across Belgium. In October 2024, fake QR codes were found on at least 17 parking meters in Bruges, leading to phishing websites. The Brussels police issued a similar warning in December 2024 after discovering fraudulent stickers on parking meters in the capital, as reported by BRUZZ. In September 2025, a man was investigated for placing hundreds of fake QR codes on parking meters in Brussels.

Parallel Case in Ostend

The scam is not limited to Ypres. The coastal city of Ostend (Oostende) also reported similar fraud earlier in the week, with fake QR code stickers found on parking meters there. The city inspected all parking meters and removed the stickers, according to HLN Ostend. The simultaneous appearance of these scams in two cities approximately 60 kilometers apart suggests either the same criminal group operating across multiple locations or copycat fraudsters.

What Victims Should Do

Mayor Desomer urged anyone who may have scanned a fake code to take immediate action. “Whoever has already scanned the code should block their payment card and file a complaint with the police,” she said. “I also want to warn my colleagues from neighboring cities and municipalities. Perhaps they didn’t just strike here, but also in the wider region.”

Authorities advise the following steps:

• Immediately contact your bank and Card Stop (078/120.10) to block your bank cards
• File a police report and preserve all evidence
• Report suspicious QR codes to suspect@safeonweb.be
• If in doubt, have your phone analyzed for spyware

The correct payment information is always displayed on the side of the parking meter, not via QR codes.

Broader Implications

This case highlights a growing vulnerability in the shift toward digital-only payment systems for public services. As cities remove cash payment options, QR codes become a single point of failure that criminals can exploit. The advice from authorities — to avoid scanning QR codes on parking meters — effectively undermines the very digital payment infrastructure cities are promoting.

The stickers “cannot have been there for longer than a week,” Desomer noted. “We fortunately noticed them fairly quickly.” The investigation is ongoing, and it remains unclear whether any arrests have been made or how many victims have come forward.

What to Watch For

As the Ypres Rally gets underway this weekend, visitors are urged to remain vigilant and use only official payment methods. The city has confirmed that all known fake codes have been removed, but authorities warn that similar scams may appear in other cities across the region.