Drivers warned of another parking ticket text scam

Paul JonesSeptember 3, 20250 Comment0

DRIVERS are being warned of a new text scam that falsely claims a parking ticket has not been paid.

The recipient, fearing they have been issued with a ticket, is warned they could face increased charges if they do not pay the fine immediately via a link.

However, the parking ticket does not exist – and the money is simply stolen.

The scam was exposed by experts at the Express, who said it looked “scarily real”, with the hoax payment portal mirroring the official GOV.UK website.

The message includes warnings that the payment must be made urgently or face a higher penalty – as well as impact credit ratings.

An example scam message read: “Parking Charge Notice (PCN): The record shows that you have unpaid parking fines.

“The deadline for paying the fine is August 23, 2025. If you fail to pay the fine on time, you may be subject to additional fines and interest.”

Anyone clicking on the link is asked to provide a postcode of their local council, car registration number, and pay a £20 fine.

However, drivers are being warned not to click the link and to never share personal or financial details through texts.

The GOV.UK website said: “Do not give out private information (such as bank details or passwords), reply to text messages, download attachments or click on any links in emails if you’re not sure they’re genuine.

“Forward suspicious text messages to 7726 – it’s free. This will report the message to your mobile phone provider.”

After news of the scam emerged, RAC spokesperson, Rod Dennis, said: “This new text message trick is the latest in a series of nasty scams where criminals are catching drivers out by imitating online payment methods.

“In the short-term, the cost is unnecessary and expensive as drivers end up paying a fine for an offence they didn’t commit.

“The long-term implications can be even worse if scammers use their bank or personal details elsewhere.

“It’s incredibly unusual to receive a text about a parking fine if there wasn’t a ticket on your car in the first place – and the ticket normally includes information on how to pay.

“To be safe rather than sorry, we’d advise any recipients of the text to first check if they need to pay a fine with the authority rather than following the URL in the SMS.

“If a fine is due, ask for the payment options and, if you choose to pay it online, make sure the website is the genuine one and that any details you enter are sent securely.”