Fleets and their drivers are being warned by the Driver and Automobile Requirements Company (DVSA) that scammers are sending textual content messages about pretend parking penalty prices.
DVSA says that the textual content message warns people who they’ve a ‘parking penalty cost’, and that if they don’t pay on time, that they may be banned from driving, should pay extra and be taken to courtroom.
A picture of the rip-off textual content that folks have been receiving
The textual content message reads “DVSA discover for you: You have got a parking penalty cost due on 2024/9/30. If you don’t pay your fantastic on time, your automobile could also be banned from driving, you might need to pay extra, or you would be taken to courtroom.
“Please enter your licence plate within the hyperlink after studying the data, Test and pay parking penalty cost. Thanks once more on your cooperation. DVSA.”
Rod Dennis, from the RAC, says that this new textual content message trick is the newest in a sequence of “nasty scams” the place criminals are catching drivers out by imitating on-line fee strategies.
“Within the short-term, the fee is pointless and costly as drivers find yourself paying a fantastic for an offence they didn’t commit,” he added.
“The long-term implications may be even worse if scammers use their financial institution or private particulars elsewhere.
“It’s extremely uncommon to obtain a textual content a couple of parking fantastic if there wasn’t a ticket in your automobile within the first place – and the ticket usually contains info on pay.
“To be secure fairly than sorry, we’d advise any recipients of the textual content to first test if they should pay a fantastic with the authority fairly than following the URL within the SMS.
“If a fantastic is due, ask for the fee choices and, in case you select to pay it on-line, make certain the web site is the real one and that any particulars you enter are despatched securely.”
DVSA doesn’t difficulty or cope with parking fines. If you happen to obtain a message, it says you can report it to the Nationwide Cyber Safety Centre.
You do not want to contact DVSA when you’ve got obtained the textual content message.
If you happen to’ve been tricked into sharing private info with a scammer, you’ll be able to take speedy steps to guard your self. Additional info may be discovered right here.
In case you have misplaced cash or have been hacked because of responding to a suspicious textual content message, report it to www.actionfraud.police.uk or name 0300 123 2040 (in England, Wales or Northern Eire) or Police Scotland by calling 101 (in Scotland).