AUSTIN, Texas — People looking for parking in the Austin area are paying for service and not getting it, said Jacob Culberson, acting parking manager for the city of Austin. he says.
“They tried to pay for a parking session and entered some information, but the parking session never started,” Culberson said.
After investigation, city enforcement officers discovered that these customers were using fake websites.
Drivers who searched for the Park ATX app on Google were directed to a similar website that was actually a paid advertisement.
“It was a website from a company called Am5.com, which masqueraded as the City of Austin’s Pay to Park app,” Culberson said.
Austin resident Cameron Holmes noticed that the fake site had the same logo as the real Park ATX app.
“The only way you’ll know it’s different is because you already know how the actual app is set up, and it’s just a little bit different than that. But especially if you’re traveling or a tourist. , you can definitely get scammed, that’s for sure,” Holmes said.
Other drivers, like Paul Violand, also say the fake sites are concerning.
“It’s very nerve-wracking because fraud is rampant. Well, you have to be very careful,” Violand said.
Culberson said the city has filed a report with Google’s advertising services about the fake website, warning people to act quickly if you or a loved one accidentally uses the site for parking services. did.
“Contact your credit or debit card service to discuss your options,” Culberson said. “This may include monitoring your account for unauthorized transactions and protecting your account from potential fraudulent activity.”
Also, be sure to file a complaint with the Real Park ATX app’s support service. This will leave a record with the city.
For those who park in paid spots in Austin, we recommend using the actual Park ATX smartphone app, available for download in the app store, instead of searching in your web browser.
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