Fake QR stickers on parking meters are now a national problem. Police and cities in New York, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Raleigh, Ann Arbor and Asheville have warned drivers since mid-2025.
The attack is cheap. Print a sticker, cover the real code, collect payments. The driver pays a criminal and still gets a ticket.
Park Graph runs QR code parking payments for private lots, so this problem is ours to solve. Here is the design.
1. Every sign is one of a kind
Each lot's QR carries a code that only Park Graph issues. A copied or outside sticker doesn't carry it. A scan with no valid code never reaches a pay page for that lot.
2. Fake codes get flagged before anyone is penalized
Before any payment notice goes out, the lot's sign must match its code. If it doesn't, notices at that lot stop and the owner is alerted until the original sign is confirmed. Drivers aren't penalized for a scam they couldn't see.
3. Drivers only ever pay on parkgraph.com
The pay page always lives on parkgraph.com and shows the lot name, the sign code and a verified operator badge. Card details go straight to Stripe and never touch our servers.
4. Money only goes to verified owners
Owners pass a Stripe ID check, and each lot is verified before its first payout. A scammer can't open an account and collect.
Patent pending
We filed five U.S. patent applications on this work in October 2026. They cover counterfeit payment-code detection for parking and EV charging, payment notices verified against posted sign codes, AI-assistant reservation holds, lot onboarding from a photo message, and multi-lot fleet reservations.
For developers
The same lots are bookable from code and AI assistants through the Park Graph API and MCP server. Drivers always finish payment on parkgraph.com; no tool charges a card on its own.
Full details are on the Park Graph security page. Lot owners can start free and go live the same day.
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