Drivers alerted of scam text messages about parking fines

Thousands of text messages have been received by drivers across the UK, where the scammers claim to be from the DVSA.

The messages warn the receiver that they have a ‘parking penalty charge’, and that if they do not pay on time, that they might be banned from driving, issued with a large fine, or even be taken to court.

Following the first scam text, many have received a second message threatening them to respond with ‘today is the last day to pay your ticket’ – or something similar.

The DVSA have reiterated that they do not issue parking fines to drivers in the UK.

They are urging those who receive a message that they can report the scam text messages to the National Cyber Security Centre. The DVSA do not need to be contacted.

For drivers who have already provided personal information, the DVSA urges them to contact Action Fraud Police (England, Wales, or Northern Ireland) or Police Scotland.

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Following the announcement from the DVSA, RAC spokesman 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.”