Oxford City Council is warning car park users to be on the lookout following reports of fraudulent activity at Worcester Street car park, linked to the payment machines.
Three customers have reported that sums of money were taken, or attempts were made to take funds, from their bank accounts shortly after using the pay machines.
In each case, the customers used their cards to pay for parking and subsequently received alerts or noticed suspicious activity on their accounts.
The City Council immediately reported the matter to the police and is actively assisting with their investigation.
Our own internal checks have identified that fraudsters placed skimming devices, disguised as legitimate card readers, over the actual readers on our pay machines. These devices can capture card data without the user’s knowledge. A common sign of this scam is a “card declined” message on the machine, prompting users to move to another machine—by which time, the card may already have been compromised.
The City Council has already taken action
We have:
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reported the incidents to the police
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initiated increased inspections on all pay machines
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instructed our enforcement officers to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity immediately
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posted awareness materials to inform the public
What car park users can do
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always inspect the card reader before inserting your card – if anything looks unusual, do not use the machine
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use RingGo pay by phone as an alternative method of payment
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pay attention to messages on the screen – a “card declined” message could be a red flag
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stay alert to bank notifications or warnings – they may help prevent financial loss
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report any suspicious activity immediately to the police by phoning 101.
Comment
“We understand the concern this may cause and are taking this issue extremely seriously. This kind of incident is not common in any of our car parks. Public safety and the security of our facilities are top priorities, and our staff regularly check the machines and are trained to spot this kind of scam.
“I would ask for car park users to remain vigilant and promptly report any similar incidents or suspicious activity to the police.”
Councillor Alex Hollingsworth, Cabinet Member for Planning and Culture
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