Police Warn of Fake Email Parking Ticket Scam

PALOS PARK, IL -- A parking ticket scam where innocent motorists receive an official looking email from police telling them they owe money for parking in a handicapped space has hit the local area.

Palos Park Police Chief Joe Miller said a local business reported receiving such an email this week. The email contains a parking ticket number and tells the recipient to click on a link and pay the fine using their Visa or Mastercard, or call a toll-free number and pay the fine on an automated system. Recipients are encouraged to pay the fines to avoid a court appearance.

Clicking on the link could also infect your computer with malware stealing your personal financial information. Fine amounts vary from $299 to $499.

The extortion scam has swept Europe and has surfaced in the United States late last year, according to news reports.

“If you get such an email delete it,” Palos Park Police Chief Joe Miller warns. “I haven’t heard of any police department in the country that sends out traffic or parking citations by email. “

Many municipalities offer motorists the option of paying citations online through secured websites. In which case, the motorist may receive a confirmation email, Miller said.

Here are a few tips to make sure you don't fall for those scam emails.

• Never click on links within emails you weren’t expecting.
• Look up the address of a company and type it into the address bar yourself if you think you need to visit the website.
• Never reply to spam emails.
• If you get an email from your bank or building society asking for personal details do not respond. Look up a telephone number and call to check, but financial institutions won’t contact you out of the blue asking you to give out personal information.
• Never download attachments unless you know and trust the sender.