Fake parking tickets are a scam that confuses unsuspecting drivers

As if paying a parking ticket wasn’t enough of a frustration, consider sending your bank details to pay a fake ticket and getting scammed in the process.

According to CarscoopsCriminals in Calgary, Canada are slipping fake (and seemingly real) traffic tickets onto the windshields of parked vehicles in an attempt to steal online payments from unsuspecting citizens.

This form of phishing has also been spotted in other locations, including New York and California.

In Canada, the fake ticket bears the Calgary Parking logo, the date of the alleged violation and the penalty requested. The web address is close enough to the official address to fool motorists into thinking the ticket is valid. Some are tempted to enter their bank details to make the “payments.”

Carscoops The scammers are reportedly printing their own fake tickets and some are even including QR codes on the tickets, making it harder for victims to spot the fraudulent web addresses.

In New York, the scam is being carried out via text message, according to an article published on Kelley’s Blue BookThe message claims to be from “New York CityPay” and warns of a fake unpaid parking bill of $2.50, which will become a $25 bill if not paid.

Police advise potential victims to call the agency that issued the ticket to verify that it is genuine, but do not call the number on the ticket.