QR Code Scams in Houston, Texas

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles warned Houston-area drivers about scam text messages claiming unpaid tickets and toll balances, increasingly delivered with QR codes instead of links to evade spam filters. The messages impersonated TxDMV and toll authorities and pressured recipients to pay small 'fees' on phishing sites that captured card details. TxDMV confirmed it never sends payment demands, violation warnings, or enforcement notices by text message.

The FBI's IC3 issued a national public service announcement after fraudulent QR code stickers were discovered on parking meters in Houston and other Texas cities. Scammers placed the stickers over legitimate payment codes, redirecting drivers to phishing sites that stole credit card information. This was one of the earliest high-profile QR code scam reports in the U.S.

Cybersecurity firms reported a wave of quishing attacks targeting employees at energy companies along Houston's Energy Corridor. Phishing emails contained QR codes pretending to be multi-factor authentication prompts from corporate IT departments.

Residents in Houston's Montrose neighborhood reported finding fake parking violation notices under their windshield wipers. The notices included QR codes linking to a fraudulent payment site. Houston Police confirmed the notices were not from the city and urged residents to only pay tickets through the official Houston municipal court website.

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