In most of the US, this type of scam doesn't happen because we don't have this kind of parking lot. I think I've seen just one in my life. Most lots have either parking meters or gates and attendants.
Most lots have either parking meters or gates and attendants.
I don't know where you are from. In Dallas, the downtown lots closest to the center (expensive) had gates and attendants.
Further out (cheaper) were lots where you slid cash into a slot matching one's stall number: a guy came around on a regular basis to collect the cash, but he wasn't stationed in the lot.
In most of the US, this type of scam doesn't happen because we don't have this kind of parking lot. I think I've seen just one in my life. Most lots have either parking meters or gates and attendants.