Fake North Carolina parking tickets "Rickroll" unsuspecting drivers

ASHEVILLE, N.C., March 8 (UPI) -- A prankster in North Carolina used false parking tickets to "Rickroll" several unsuspecting drivers in the area.

Asheville City Government shared a warning about the tickets which featured "alarmingly high" fees of $100 and a QR code that leads to a music video of Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" when scanned.

"That's a dead giveaway," Parking Services Manager Harry Brown said. "Our citations do not have QR codes on them."

The tickets, which are also a larger size than authentic parking tickets, were first reported in the downtown area of Asheville on Friday.

Police are seeking the culprit, but said they would only be able to charge the person for littering unless they received payment from the fake fine.

"I think it's just an aggravation, and somebody you know, wanting to get a little publicity, or say ha ha," Brown told WLOS.

He added that the fake tickets cause extra work for city officials who have to remove the fake tickets from vehicles and have to handle misguided attempts to pay the fee.

"It causes us extra work, causes aggravation for our citizens, and I really think somebody's doing it for a prank," he said.