Toronto police are warning motorists about a scam involving fraudulent text messages asking drivers to pay extraordinary parking tickets.
John Brooker, of Toronto, said he was recently shocked to receive a text message saying he had an extraordinary parking ticket that he had to pay without delay or threat of wasting his license.
“They threatened me that if I didn’t pay, my license would be revoked and all sorts of bad things would happen,” Brooker told CTV News Toronto.
He said he clicked on the link in the text message but grew concerned when he was asked to input his personal information, including information about his car.
Booker, suspicious, deleted the text: “I’m glad I didn’t fall into the trap. “
Toronto police said they don’t touch other people’s text messages.
Toronto police are warning of a parking ticket scam in which fraudulent text messages are sent asking drivers to pay overage fines.
“It’s a classic fraud where it has a sense of urgency behind it and has threats of suspension, and that’s not the way the government works, so it’s absolutely fraud,” Det. David Coffey, with the Toronto Police Financial Crimes Unit, told CTV News Toronto.
By clicking on the link, scammers can access your phone and provide them with data that could lead to identity theft.
There are variations of this particular scam, as you could also get a text saying you owe money for a speeding ticket or other traffic violation.
“Toronto police will not send text messages reminding people of traffic violations, so if you get a text message like this, you should delete it. Do not respond to it,” Coffey said.
Brooker is relieved that he hasn’t been ripped off.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.