Don’t Fall for This Fake Parking Ticket Scam
Getting a parking ticket sucks, and the easiest way to get it out of your head is to pay it off as soon as possible – the fact is that scammers use fake tickets that trick you into paying for violations you didn’t actually commit. cited for.
According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), the scam involves tickets printed with QR codes that take you not to your municipality’s official payment site, but to a bogus site that only approximates the real one. When victims pay fines, they give up not only their money, but also their personal information, putting them at even greater risk.
How parking ticket fraud works
Scammers are on duty on a busy street, waiting for a potential victim to park nearby – maybe someone who parks twice, for example, when running into a store. They will use a handheld device to print out a perfectly official parking ticket and stick it on your windshield. The fake ticket contains a QR code that ostensibly offers you a convenient way to pay for the violation, but actually redirects you to a payment website which, if you use it, will deliver your money and personal information directly to the scammer. Ignore the fact that you were not actually prosecuted for the violation!
In the absence of a QR code, the ticket may direct you to a payment site that will accept peer-to-peer payments. Other victims have reported receiving emails notifying them of pending parking tickets, reminding them to pay so they don’t face stricter tickets or other repercussions, but clicking the link to pay could potentially lead to a malware download, warns the BBB.
How to spot a fake parking ticket
If you’re sure you didn’t commit a parking violation but still got a warning, this should be the number one red flag. Remember that you can always challenge any parking violation, and the quote must state exactly which law or rule you violated in order to warrant a ticket. If the listed violation does not make sense, you may have a fake ticket in your hands.
Most parking tickets will redirect you to the city’s official website to process the payment. If the quote asks you to pay using a peer-to-peer app like Venmo, Zelle, PayPal, or something similar, it’s a scam.
Since there is no jurisdiction over private parking lots, if you get a warning in one of them – such as a retail store parking lot or a stadium parking lot – it’s also a warning sign. Most private lots will tow you or “load” your wheel instead. While some private lots may issue a fine, this is rare, so if you’re returning from a game or store and see a ticket on your windshield, be suspicious.
No matter why you got a ticket, you should always double check the organization referring to you and contact them directly through their official website, not by the phone number on the ticket or using a QR code. Ask if the ticket in your hands is legal and if it is not, report it.
Best practices to avoid ticket fraud
The BBB recommends the following:
- Research available parking and local parking requirements . Tourists and vehicles with out-of-state licenses are commonly targeted as they are assumed to be unaware of local parking laws.
- Study the quote carefully . Google the city’s official parking ticket website and compare it to what’s on the ticket. Are the logos the same? Are the phone numbers and URL the same? Government sites must end with .gov. and payment sites must always begin with “HTTPS”, indicating that the site is secure.
- Check the recipient if you have the option to pay by check . Some tickets will give you the option to pay by check. This can be a good litmus test to determine if a ticket is fake: checks should generally be sent to a specific government entity, not a string of initials or a person’s name.
- Always pay by credit card . Paying with a credit card gives you the confidence that in the event of fraud, the bank will return the money to you. Payments made using a peer-to-peer app, debit, cash, or check are almost always unrecoverable.
What to do if you think you are the victim of a fake parking ticket
The best thing to do other than not pay is to report it to the BBB on the BBB Scam Tracker . While you won’t necessarily get your money back if you’ve already sent a payment (unless you paid with a credit card), your report can help others learn about and avoid common fraudulent tactics in the future.