Your best tool may be your common sense when trying to tell the difference between a legit parking spot and, well, something else.

"There's no way we're going to ever be able to monitor total scoundrels," says City Council member Elaine Spaull. "How can you?"

When parking is at a premium downtown, like during the Jazz Fest and other popular events, there are those who would use your desperation to fatten up their wallets.

In a couple of incidents during last year's Jazz Fest, say Council members, unscrupulous people "invented" parking. Without permission or authorization, they stood in private lots and collected money from unsuspecting motorists.

"We had people who were standing in parking lots, collecting $5, and leaving with thousands of dollars in their pockets," Spaull says. "Then all the cars were towed."

How do you avoid this? Common sense, observation, and a few well-placed questions, officials say.

Council President Lovely Warren says legitimate lots are usually marked with signs indicating the cost to park there.

If there's a sign saying that the lot is private property and that violators will be towed, you should take that seriously, officials say.

Spaull says you may want to ask the attendant for ID or lob a few strategic questions, such as asking how long you're allowed to park in that lot.

"That would give you a hint if the person has any sense of what they're doing," she says.

Warren says to trust your gut, and to call 311 with questions.

"Sometimes you just have to be strategically aware: ‘Wait a minute, does this person really look legitimate or not?'" she says.