Warning issued regarding SMS parking ticket scam

Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) is warning people not to respond to text messages about parking fines.

She said she was aware of a scam in which people were asked to pay a fine or face prosecution.

The authority said the texts were “nonsense” and confirmed people would not be contacted by the council via text message regarding a parking penalty notice (PCN).

The council said all parking charges should be paid via the details on the back of the notices.

The fake texts warn of higher fees, lawsuits and court costs for those who do not pay within 28 days.

Matt Jones, the authority’s head of parking, said: “This scam attempts to take money from anyone, whether or not they have a PCN lodged in relation to their parking.

“I would suggest anyone who receives a text message like this takes a screenshot, including the phone number it came from, and sends it to Action Fraud as soon as possible,” he added.

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