Hacked? Township suspends paid parking in Elora due to problems with system

ELORA – It appears Centre Wellington’s online paid parking system has been hacked.

The township issued a press release on June 11 stating “paid parking, including penalty notice payments, has been temporarily suspended while the township works with its service provider to investigate and resolve the issue.”

Some people who used the QR code to pay for a parking space in downtown Elora were sent to other websites, some with adult content.

The issue came to light at 3:07pm on June 10, according to the township press release.

The township says it is working with its service provider to investigate the issue.

“Based on the information provided by the service provider to date, there is no evidence that any personal information, payment details or financial data have been compromised,” the release states.

In the meantime, plastic bags are taped over the parking meters so people don’t use them.

on the Fergus/Elora Community News page range from anger to laughter.

Some people see it as an opportunity to park for free and are happy that.

Others wonder if the entire system has been hacked and if their own information is now compromised.

Asked on June 11 for more information, Centre Wellington spokesperson Hannah Barclay told the Advertiser "the township has no additional information to beyond what was provided in our recent media advisory."

She added all the municipality's other online payment systems, including those for taxes and dog tags, "are up and running and are unaffected by this issue."