Dutch consumer programme warns of quishing
Dutch consumer programme "MAX vakantieman" (Omroep MAX) warned viewers on 20 July 2026 about fake QR codes on parking machines. On the show, investigative journalist Alberto Stegeman discussed scams targeting travellers abroad and named fake QR codes as one of three common methods.
Stegeman said anyone scanning such a code is asked to enter personal details, often including a password. The programme also warned about fake Wi-Fi networks, such as "Fee Wifi Airport" instead of "Free Wifi", and about fake toll bills from France, where physical toll booths are gradually being removed.
Warning reaches a broad audience
With the segment on public television, the topic has reached a broad audience. According to police and municipalities, the scam is not limited to holiday destinations: several cases have recently been reported in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Four documented cases in the Netherlands and Belgium
Four incidents involving fake QR codes have been documented in the Netherlands and Belgium in recent weeks, based on statements from municipalities and police as well as media reports:
| Location | Date | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| Den Haag (Scheveningen) | 15.06.2026 | The city warned of stickers on parking machines; it says it does not use QR codes there |
| Ieper (BE) | 24.06.2026 | A fake site demanded 10 euros for a parking ticket; a warden removed the stickers |
| Oostende (BE) | 24.06.2026 | A similar case at a single parking machine |
| Noord-Limburg (BE) | 19.05.2026 | Six municipalities affected; fake codes on parking machines, restaurant terraces and posters |
The Hague: city uses no QR codes on parking machines
According to the municipality of The Hague, no QR codes are used for parking in the city. Payment is made only at the machine, by card or contactless. Any QR code found there is therefore fake, the municipality said. It advised against scanning such codes and asked for them to be reported.
Whether a local operator uses QR codes can be checked with the municipality. Where no QR codes are in use, authorities say any code found there should be treated as fake.
Fake codes also reported on terraces and posters
Politiezone Noord-Limburg issued a warning in May covering six municipalities – Pelt, Hamont-Achel, Hechtel-Eksel, Leopoldsburg, Lommel and Peer, according to broadcaster VRT NWS. Police said fake QR codes appeared there not only on parking machines but also on restaurant terraces and posters.
Police said QR codes on restaurant tables, for example for digital menus, can be covered with stickers just like those on parking machines. In practice, they are rarely checked.
Similar cases previously reported in Germany
The cases in Ieper and The Hague follow the same pattern as incidents reported earlier in Dorsten and Frankfurt: QR codes covered with stickers, a cloned payment page, harvested card data.
A total of 36 incidents involving fake QR codes have been documented in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, each with location, date and method. Most cases involve parking machines; restaurant terraces and posters have been added recently.
Recommended precautions
- • Feel the code – a sticker has a noticeable edge.
- • Find out whether your town uses QR codes for parking at all. Often the answer is no.
- • Use the official app from the app store instead of the code on the machine.
- • Ignore shortened or unusual URLs – Belgian police name this explicitly as a warning sign.
- • If you have already scanned a code and entered your details, block your card immediately and report it to the police.
The quishing map now covers three countries
36 documented incidents across Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium – with location, date, method and source. Every entry is tied to verifiable reporting from police, municipalities or the press.
For situations where a QR code does have to be scanned, QRTrust checks the destination address against multiple phishing databases and AI models before the page opens.
View the quishing map →Sources
- MAX vakantieman: Valse QR-codes, oplichting bij de tolweg, en onveilige wifi op vakantie (20.07.2026)
- Hart van Nederland: QR-code op parkeerautomaat? Gemeente Den Haag waarschuwt
- VRT NWS: Valse QR-codes op parkeerautomaten in Ieper (24.06.2026)
- VRT NWS: Politiezone Noord-Limburg waarschuwt voor quishing (19.05.2026)
- politie.nl: Wat is fraude met QR-codes (quishing)?
About QRTrust
QRTrust is Germany's first QR code security platform, developed in Dortmund. AI-powered real-time detection, a local threat database and multi-layered security checks protect citizens, authorities and businesses from quishing attacks. GDPR compliant, hosted in Germany.