Cars targeted with fake parking tickets near Santa Cruz beach

(KRON) — The Santa Cruz Police Department is warning residents of fake parking tickets that were placed on parked vehicles near a beach area on June 15.

Santa Cruz PD released the below photos so community members can tell the difference between a dupe and real parking citation.

“If you’ve recently received a parking ticket, review the fine print,” said Santa Cruz PD. “The scam citations used a QR Code to direct potential victims to a website for payment. It is unknown how many fraudulent citations the scammer issued or how many victims may have paid the fake citations.”

Anyone who has seen any fake parking tickets are encouraged to call the City of Santa Cruz Parking Office or report it to the Santa Cruz Police Investigations Unit at (831) 420-5820.

Anyone with questions about the validity of a parking ticket should call the City of Santa Cruz Parking Office at (831) 420-6100.