Fake QR codes on 64 Manhattan parking kiosks led to a card-stealing site, prosecutors say

Prosecutors allege that someone used counterfeit QR code stickers on Manhattan parking kiosks to try to get drivers’ card details. The man they accuse, Mihai Theodor Enescu, was arraigned on an indictment Wednesday and denied wrongdoing.

According to the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, 64 kiosks across the borough carried the stickers. Scanning one opened a website that looked like it belonged to ParkNYC, the platform the city has authorized for parking payments, but had no connection to it. Authorities allege the fake site asked for financial information, card numbers included, that Enescu hoped to get access to.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Enescu said, adding that he works as a delivery driver for Amazon.

How the fake parking QR codes worked

The investigation started in June 2025. That month, investigators said, a driver parking by 79 E. 10th St. scanned a code on the meter. The sticker said “Web Pay. Scan to pay.” and led to a page with the official ParkNYC logo displayed prominently.

The driver tried more than once to enter payment information, authorities said, but the page never stopped buffering. Looking more closely, the driver realized the code had been stuck on top of the genuine ParkNYC sticker. The driver warned their banks and lost no money.

How to pay for parking safely in NYC

Officials say similar scams may be out there. Drivers should pay at the meter directly or use the ParkNYC app instead of scanning any QR code they find on a kiosk.

District Attorney Bragg reminded New Yorkers that “the city does not ask you to scan a QR code when parking,” and said people should take extra care any time they type personal information online. Anyone who believes they were targeted by a scam, or who wants to report suspicious online activity, can reach his office at 212-335-8900, he said.