Texas Cities Warn of Rising Fake Parking Ticket Scams

Authorities in Houston and North Texas are warning residents about a surge in fake parking ticket scams targeting drivers. In Houston, scammers are leaving counterfeit tickets on vehicles, often in downtown areas, that closely mimic official citations but are printed on white paper and feature QR codes for payment—a method not used by the city. Genuine Houston tickets are printed on pink NCR paper and include violation codes and payment instructions on the back. ParkHouston and city officials recommend verifying citation authenticity on the official city website before paying any fines. Similarly, in North Texas, police have found fake tickets at shopping malls containing QR codes that may direct recipients to malicious sites, with fake details like generic license plate numbers and violations for nonexistent meters. Residents are urged to double-check parking citations and avoid scanning suspicious QR codes or making payments through unofficial channels.