Dudley pensioners say the introduction of parking charges on council car parks has turned them into targets for scammers.

Dudley Council introduced controversial new charges and abolished two hours free parking on October 1 prompting a wave of protest.

Councillors at a meeting of Dudley’s area forum on October 7 were told by users of the Duncan Edwards Leisure not only were people staying away from the town centre but people who attempted to pay charges online were receiving dodgy messages demanding payments of fixed penalties.

Carol Longthorn, aged 80, from Dudley, said: “Since we have had to pay for parking I have had scams, when you are old you try not to do wrong and then you get these messages – it’s quite frightening.”

Other gym users also reported getting scam messages after scanning a QR code on the notice board by the payment machine which they believe was stuck over the genuine code by crooks.

In September the DVSA issued a warning about this type of scam which threatens people with being banned from the roads if they do not pay. 

Cllr Karl Denning said: “Our trading standards unit at Dudley Council is leading the way on this with Scam Busters, if this is happening they will want to know.”

Victims of scams should report them to the National Cyber Security Centre and people who have lost money should inform Action Fraud, either online or by calling 0300 123 2040.

The savvy pensioners, who were not fooled by the scam and ignored the messages, are members of the Wellness Clinic at Dudley’s Duncan Edwards Leisure Centre and used the community meeting to hit out about the impact of the new charges.

Carol Longthorn said: “Lots of members are not going to the Duncan Edwards gym now they have to pay parking, we have got lots of friends that have cancelled.

“They need to come, not just for the physical side but the mental side, it is a community spirit.”

Fellow Wellness Clinic user, Michael Jones, from Dudley and in his 80s, added: “Dudley Council’s attitude is that there are lots of private gyms in Dudley but it isn’t the same. There isn’t a community, we are not gym bunnies.”

Dudley Council introduced two-hours free parking during the first Covid lockdown and says it now has no option but to bring back charges as it battles to find nearly £40m to ease a financial crisis.

The changes to parking charges in Dudley are expected to raise around £3.5m over the next three years.

Anti-charging campaigners forced the subject onto the agenda for the next meeting of the full council on October 21 with the submission of a petition containing around 4,000 names to the authority.