Parking ticket by text - convincing scam

[Archev]

A what phone call? ?

I’m as confused as you - stick phone calls have largely died out around here too ?

 

[Susanna]

This parking ticket scam is very common just now.

As previously stated, it doesn’t happen by texts - how would they get your mobile?

Also, most seem to say from ‘DVSA’, who definitely don’t deal with parking tickets.

They usually have spelling and/or grammar mistakes - a common one being ‘license’.

Forward scam texts to 7726, as it helps to get the scammers shut down.

A friend had one that said if she didn’t pay, her car would be banned from driving……

 

[Rolfe]

I've already forwarded it and blocked the number. My text didn't have really obvious tells like bad spelling or threats of a driving ban, and it didn't mention the DVLA, but on a second reading it just wasn't worded the way such a communication would be worded.

I read somewhere that they sometimes incorporate obvious typos because they're mainly fishing for absolute idiots who can't spell.

 

[supergirl5ra]

I got the text with parking penalty notice on the 10th of September. I didn't open the link but emailed the local council as we didn't travel anywhere. The council confirmed we don't have any parking fines.

Today I got a message from another number saying I should pay soon if I don't want to get prosecuted. At my work wifi the server blocked the link as unsecure. When I opened it at home I get the same as you described and the date of penalty is 18th September ( so after the first message was sent). No location. My husband only drove to work and home that day so not used paid parking.

When I try the link in first message from the 10th of September I get a qr code generator website saying the qr code is disabled. It's obviously a scam but very convincing one if you don't double check. Parking fines in our council are way higher than £20 though ?

The messages are RCS encrypted which I haven't seen before.

 

[dsimpkins]

I read somewhere that they sometimes incorporate obvious typos because they're mainly fishing for absolute idiots who can't spell.

They add the mis-spelling so that they can slip past anti-phishing scan tools.

 

[Rolfe]

It might have been interesting to activate the link while somewhere else or on a different network and see if the location of the alleged offence changed accordingly.

 

[Ian Key]

The misspelling is to weed out those intelligent enough to realise it's a scam so preying on the less educated and vulnerable.

Be careful clicking on any links as malware could be downloaded onto your device. Just report and delete.

I don't get many scam calls particularly as the last one I called them a thieving little b'stard and they should get a real job not trying to extort... I never finished as they hung up on me. I guess I'm now on their do not contact list ?

 

[Gadget Geek]

When we had a landline, I used to get calls telling me my internet connection had been compramised and they could help me. I used to play along until their software didn't load onto my laptop. I used to tell them all I could see was my Linux desktop and waited for the penny to drop. I would then ask them if their parents knew what they did for a living and if they were proud of them . . . click, brrrrrr.