Don't make parking more of a mess by falling for these creative scams

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- When it comes to paid parking in a garage, private lot, or on the street, you pay to avoid getting a ticket but scammers are getting creative to try and trick you.

The Better Business Bureau of Eastern NC issued a warning that scammers are using new technology to create fake parking tickets, with handheld devices. Alyssa Parker with the BBB says, "Scammers are sophisticated now. They can actually print parking tickets right then and there and they may take advantage of out-of-towners that have an out-of-state license plate saying you were here too long, or something is expired, or you didn't pay property, go ahead and use this QR code."

In one recent case, Parker says a QR code was used to direct victims to a fake payment website. If you follow the instructions, you'll end up paying a fine you don't owe. Also, your personal information will now be in the hands of scammers. Another red flag is if you have to pay the ticket via PayPal or Venmo.

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To protect your money you should never pay the ticket on the spot, instead, make sure you're responsible. Remember scammers can copy cat city logos to make it appear the ticket is real, so if you have any questions, compare it to who owns the lot where you parked, and with who is issuing the ticket. Of course, the best protection is to always pay with a credit card as you can dispute it if you find out it's a scam.