Drivers are being urged to avoid scanning QR codes to pay for parking following a spate of scams.

The RAC advised motorists to make payments only with cash, cards or official apps.

In recent weeks there have been incidents of fraudsters placing stickers featuring QR codes on parking signs in locations such as Barking and Dagenham, Northumberland, Northamptonshire, South Tyneside and Pembrokeshire.

Drivers who scan the codes with their phone are shown fraudulent websites asking them to enter their card details, which criminals use to spend money from their accounts.

Jemma Sinclair, from Westcliff, was hit by scammers as she attempted to park at a rail station.

She said: “I had queued for a space and was late for my train. As I ran, I scanned a QR code on the information board at the car park and did what it said.

"The next think I heard was that my bank had blocked my card because they saw what they believed to be a fraudulent transaction.

“It appears that the scammers put a sticker up on the information board where you would normally look to see how to pay. The sticker had a QR code which I just used, thinking it was genuine.

"The moral of the story is that always make sure you pay securely and check you’re accessing the right system. Otherwise, it could cost."

A QR code, which is an abbreviation of quick response code, is a barcode which enables people to get rapid access to a website or download link by scanning it with their phone camera.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “A car park is one of the last places where you’d expect to be caught out by online fraud.

“Unfortunately, the increasing popularity and ease of using QR codes appears to have made drivers more vulnerable to malicious scammers.

“For some, this sadly means a quick response code could in fact be a quick route to losing money. As if this scam isn’t nasty enough, it can also lead to drivers being caught out twice if they don’t realise they haven’t paid for parking and end up getting a hefty fine from the council.

“The safest course of action when paying for parking at a council-owned car park is to avoid using QR codes altogether.