The City of Melbourne is investigating how much of a system for reporting graffiti, using QR codes, has been vandalised.
A number of the QR codes posted around the Melbourne CBD have been overlaid with alternative codes.
These codes, which the ABC has seen, lead to a documentary about hip hop culture on YouTube.
The documentary explores graffiti as part of hip hop culture.
Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp said it was not yet known how many of the QR codes had been vandalised, but believed it was still small in number.
"The hacking of the QR codes is so frustrating," the Lord Mayor said.
"I think it gives people some insight into what we're dealing with with these vandals, with taggers, and with graffiti across our city."
'Please continue to be proactive'
The City of Melbourne is investigating how many of the QR codes have been affected and is assessing whether an alternative will be needed in future.
"Our team [is] replacing the QR codes where we've become aware they've been patched over," Cr Capp said.
The lord mayor said the City of Melbourne had initiated discussions with Victoria Police and would draw on CCTV footage to see "how we can catch those culprits".
"The QR codes have been instrumental in helping us be more responsive to cleaning the city," she said.
"We cleaned more than 150,000 square metres of graffiti in 2022 and we want to continue those efforts, with the help of the public, in 2023.
"To members of the public, please continue to be proactive in helping us respond to cleaning and graffiti and we'll keep up our investment and efforts to make sure the city's clean."
She said people could use the city's website to report graffiti or an affected QR code.
People could also call the City of Melbourne.
City to continue graffiti blitz
The Lord Mayor did not believe the compromised QR codes had resulted in more graffiti in the city.
"I think this is more of a PR effort by the vandals," she said.
"It's been a record year for us in terms of addressing graffiti in the city."
She said it was the City of Melbourne's biggest-ever spend on removing graffiti, with a July media release touting a record $28.2 million investment in the council's latest budget.
"We are a big street art city. We'll continue to support and provide street art, but tagging graffiti is vandalism and that's something we do want to stop," Cr Capp said.
Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Rick Nugent said graffiti was disrespectful.
