By Hsu Sheng-lun and Sam Garcia / Staff reporter, with staff writer
New Taipei City has fined a Web site operator for posting QR codes that link to a parking payment service beneath public parking signs in Tamsui District (淡水), a practice that could expose users’ personal data.
Residents reportedly found suspicious parking payment signs at several locations in Tamsui, where an additional QR code had been hung beneath official public parking signs.
The signs could mislead people into thinking the QR code payments were part of an official government service. People reported it to the borough warden, who reported it to police.
An illegally posted QR code is pictured beneath a public parking sign in New Taipei City’s Tamsui District in an undated photograph.
Photo: Hsu Sheng-lun, Taipei Times
An investigation by police and the city’s Transportation Department found that the QR code linked to a legitimate Web site for paying parking fees.
However, as private companies are prohibited from placing advertisements on public signs, the operator was fined for contravening the Waste Disposal Act (廢棄物清理法), police said on Saturday.
Under Article 27 of the act, posting advertisements without approval carries a fine of N$1,200 to NT$100,000, the department said.
People should not trust unfamiliar QR code links posted on public signs, as criminals could exploit them to steal money or personal information, police said.
People should verify links with government agencies or call 110 for assistance, they said.
Parking meters are public facilities and not places for private advertising, the transportation department said, adding that it would step up enforcement in collaboration with police and the Taipei Department of Environmental Protection.
The only platforms offering self-service roadside parking payment options are the Parking Loudspeaker (停車大聲公) and Space4Car (易停網) apps, the transportation department said.
People should follow the information on their parking tickets and pay through legitimate channels, such as the city’s roadside parking fee Web site or convenience stores, it said.