Warning issued over unpaid parking ticket text scam
East Riding residents have been put on high alert over a widespread text message scam tricking people into thinking they owe non-existent parking fines.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council is urging people not to fall for these misleading texts, which fraudsters are distributing randomly nationwide, falsely claiming to be from the DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency).
The scam alerts recipients to a 'parking penalty charge,' attempting to get payment by threatening potential driving bans, higher fines, or court action if they fail to comply by a specified deadline. Recently, the vocabulary used in these fraudulent messages has taken on a more intimidating tone.
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Councillor Paul West, the council’s cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “To be absolutely clear, East Riding of Yorkshire Council never sends people text messages about parking fines – this is a cruel scam.
He further highlighted the scale of the issue, stating, "This is a national problem. Scammers are sending these texts to people’s mobile phones across the country, and this is now affecting people in the East Riding."
He revealed that the council's customer service centre has fielded over 100 calls from concerned locals in the last fortnight. Each caller was reassured that these alarming text messages are a hoax.
"Please don’t fall for this scam. I would urge anyone who receives these text messages to ignore them and delete them or report them straight away."
The council does not keep old mobile phone records and parking fines are only issued directly on vehicles or by post to the addresses of registered vehicle keepers.
The DVSA is urging people to report the text scam to the National Cyber Security Centre and has provided advice to anyone who has responded to the text.