Holidaying Brits have been warned about hiring cars abroad as a parking scam plagues a tourist hotspot.
The prolific ‘fake ticket’ con has caused distress among tourists, expats and locals alike.
And it could set British tourists back by £100 or more.
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Cars located on Benito Perez Galdós Avenue and other parts of Alicante, in Spain, have been targeted by scammers slapping fake tickets on windscreens.
Over 2.6million Brits head to the Costa Blanca region the resort is in every year.
About 79,000 expats live there.
The tickets mimic the official parking fines used by officials from Alicante City Council, as reported by Need To Know.
They have a QR code on them which redirects users to a fraudulent website.
The original, official tickets have a different design with a ‘report bulletin’ section and a logo of Alicante City Hall at the top.
With millions of Brits travelling to the city each year, local authorities have warned drivers not to scan the code.
It puts tourists at risk of having their bank date and personal details stolen.
A spokesperson for the council stated: “The placement of false complaints has been detected on the windshields of cars located on Benito Perez Galdós Avenue and nearby areas.
“They could also appear in other areas of the city of Alicante, so we recommend being very careful not to fall into these types of frauds.
“These fake notifications include QR codes that redirect to fraudulent websites aimed at stealing personal and banking data.
“It is very important that you do not scan the QR and do not enter personal or banking information.
“The National Police have already been informed and are investigating the facts.”
Locals have been left shocked by the scams.
Ana Mariae said: “Be careful all drivers, cars, trailers, trucks and others.”
One holidaymaker added: “Thanks for the heads up, I go in a couple of weeks and it’s good to know.”
Felipe Rincon said: “I suppose the competent entities can do something to get to the whereabouts of these people.”
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