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How to avoid scam parking apps
21 December 2023
UK consumer champion Which? recently issued a warning to drivers about ‘rogue advertisers’ who are promoting scam parking apps and using QR codes to trick victims into setting up recurring payments to false schemes.
A member of the public told their experience about a scam website called Alltainment:
“I tried to sign up for a parking app and instead was directed to a site which took my card details and signed me up to pay £39.99 a month, nominally for an entertainment package. This seems to have caught quite a few people out, according to Trustpilot. I think they are using the name of a defunct company.”
According to Which? the Alltainment website was created less than a year ago in November 2022 and currently has no contact details or company information. The ‘company’ was previously listed as Allariz Management Ltd, based in Nicosia, Cyprus.
Trustpilot reviews for Alltainment date from 30 June 2023 onwards, suggesting it has only recently started operating in the UK.
Drivers are falling victim to these scams in two key ways:
- Clicking onto false advertisements while trying to download well-known parking apps and being diverted to Alltainment.
- Scanning QR codes in restaurants or online via other websites and unofficial app stores which divert them to Alltainment, rather than the parking app they are looking for.
While many of us doubt that we would be caught out by scams, Which? investigated to discover just how easy it can be to fall victim.
When searching for the legitimate parking app JustPark on Google, the top search result was for ‘uk.apkpac dot com’, which appears to feature a promotion for the JustPark app, but actually hosts a series of 'clickable' adverts for Alltainment.
JustPark has confirmed that it is not affiliated with the uk.apkpac or Alltainment in any way and both advertisers have already been reported for product misrepresentation, scamming and copyright infringement to the relevant advertising platforms.
A spokesperson for JustPark said, “We value and prioritise protecting our customers’ safety, and only operate through official channels to bring a secure experience to all users. For access to the official JustPark app and website, UK customers can visit the Apple App Store or the Android Play Store or visit JustPark dot com. Promotional materials and digital advertisements posing as JustPark or as a JustPark vendor are fraudulent and should be reported to the relevant advertising platform.”
You can read the full article from Which?, including helpful screenshots and how to report fraudulent websites, here.
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