- Motors
NUMBERS UP
A city boss said it's neither legal nor ethical
- Debbie White, U.S. News Reporter
DOZENS of sham parking tickets were sent by text to motorists ordering them to pay up.
Greedy fraudsters also threatened to hit drivers with costly penalties - but city bosses warn it’s a con.
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The brazen scam sweeping Windsor, a city in Ontario, was exposed last Thursday by CTV News in Canada.
The new fraud targets local drivers through texts, claiming it’s time to pay their parking ticket - or face a further penalty.
The phony message even pretends to be an official one sent from the local authority.
But, city bosses have stressed that if you receive the dodgy text regarding a parking ticket, it’s a scam - you do not have a ticket, so don’t try to pay it.
READ MORE ON SCAMS
A spokesman told the broadcaster the local council's systems are not capable of sending out this kind of mass notification.
“Please, do not do this [pay the fake fine],” said Windsor's parking services co-ordinator, Bill Kralovensky.
He said that a "wave" of phone calls came in from worried drivers last Wednesday, with at least 30 people asking how to pay their $60 parking ticket they had been texted about.
The message told drivers it was their last chance to pay the penalty.
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And, those clicking the link were taken to a spoof website, posing as a branch of the Ontario Court of Justice through EasyPark pay.
Kralovensky confirmed the city does not send out text messages reminding people how to pay parking fines - so it’s best to delete the random request if you get it.
We don’t have crystal balls to get everybody’s phone number for the city of Windsor.
Bill KralovenskyParking Services Coordinator, City of Windsor, Ontario
“People are asking, you know, ‘how do I pay this?’ And my staff are like, ‘what are you talking about?’ he said.
“Our phone lines were lit up [last Wednesday].
“We don’t know your phone number.
"We don’t have crystal balls to get everybody’s phone number for the city of Windsor; we cannot send anything by text.
"It’s not legal, it’s not ethical."
The official said he wasn’t aware of anyone falling victim to the scam - yet.
“We had heard of one [person] maybe two or three months ago, where this came up and it was just a one-off," he added.
"But now... there must be a new wave of these coming out and we got all the phone calls yesterday.
“As soon as you read the ticket number that are on these, it’s not ours, it’s a scam, please report this to the proper authorities.”
How to spot a fake parking ticket
Thieves sometimes go to great lengths to squeeze money from drivers
With parking ticket scams on the rise, it's important to know how to tell the difference between a bogus ticket and a legitimate one.
Many parking enforcement agencies, like those employed by cities, will never ask people to pay for their tickets via apps like Venmo, PayPal, or Zelle.
A QR code should always make drivers cautious, as many times they lead to fake payment websites built by scammers to access banking or personal information.
It's also wise to pay close attention to logos, as some scammers will even use fake logos close enough to a city's official logo fooling those who don't look closely.
Emails or text messages regarding parking citations should always be ignored, as most parking enforcement agencies will never use those mediums to collect a debt.
Other helpful tips for spotting false citations:
- Do some research on the lot you're parking in, as signs are legally required to be posted to inform drivers on who is enforcing parking rules.
- Carefully examine the citation for any flaws - misspellings, incorrect logos, links, QR codes, etc.
- Evaluate the contact information on the ticket. Websites that belong to cities will always end in either .gov.
- Finally, pay with a card, as disputing an illegal charge is easier. Avoid mailing checks or cash to a suspect parking ticket.
- Look at a city's ticketing database to double-check that you've been cited by an official.
Source:WHNT
Windsor police told CTV the force has not as yet received any calls or complaints about this particular scam.
However, like the city's parking officials, the police recommend it’s best to let the authorities know.
Police said anyone receiving the text should notify them and call parking services.
“I think it’s scary,” said one resident.
Others told the broadcaster they refuse to respond to any texts from strange numbers.
“I get lots of questionable texts, I think you have to be aware, especially older people, as they aren’t always used to the technology,” said one woman.
‘They should’ve got a warning,’ says mom whose daughter’s car was towed suddenly after parking in same spot for years
It comes as the Calgary Parking Authority has also warned drivers to be wary of fake parking ticket on their windshield.
The Federal Trade Commission has got some great tips on its website to help avoid being conned by ruthless scammers.
"Recent scams are costing people their life savings," it added.
THINGS THAT ONLY SCAMMERS SAY
Here are a few tips from the FTC to prevent you from losing your money to fraudsters:
“Act now!” This is a high pressure tactic used by scammers so you don’t have time to pause, and think. But pressuring you to act now is always a sign of a scam. It’s also a reason to stop.
Read More on The US Sun
“Don’t hang up.” This is also a scam. If someone wants to keep you on the phone while you go withdraw or transfer money, buy gift cards, or anything else they’re asking you to do, they are a scammer. DO hang up.
“Move your money to protect it” is a scam. Nobody legit will tell you to transfer or withdraw money from your bank or investment accounts. But scammers will.
