Toronto man felt 'threatened' police would revoke his licence in parking ticket scam
Toronto police are warning motorists of a scam involving fraudulent texts asking drivers to settle overdue parking tickets.
John Brooker, of Toronto, said he was recently shocked to receive a text saying he had an overdue parking ticket that he needed to pay right away or risk losing his licence.
“They threatened if [I] didn’t pay up, my licence would be revoked, and all sorts of bad things would happen,” Brooker told CTV News Toronto.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
He said he clicked on the link in the text message but grew concerned when he was asked to input his personal information, including information about his car.
Booker, suspicious, deleted the text: “I was happy I didn’t fall into the trap.”
Toronto police said they do not contact people by text.
Toronto police warn of a parking ticket scam where fraudulent texts are being sent out to tell motorists to settle overdue parking tickets.
“It’s a classic fraud where it has a sense of urgency behind it and has threats of suspension, and that’s not the way the government works, so it’s absolutely fraud,” Det. David Coffey, with the Toronto Police Financial Crimes Unit, told CTV News Toronto.
Clicking on the link could give scammers access to your phone, providing them with information that could lead to identity theft.
There are variations of this particular scam, as you could also get a text saying you owe money for a speeding ticket or other traffic violation.
“Toronto police will not send text messages reminding people of traffic violations, so if you get a text message like this, you should delete it. Do not respond to it,” Coffey said.
Brooker is relieved he didn’t get scammed.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian family stuck in Lebanon anxiously awaits flight options amid Israeli strikes
A Canadian man who is trapped in Lebanon with his family says they are anxiously waiting for seats on a flight out of the country, as a barrage of Israeli airstrikes continues.
Yazidi woman captured by ISIS rescued in Gaza after more than a decade in captivity
A 21-year-old Yazidi woman has been rescued from Gaza where she had been held captive by Hamas for years after being trafficked by ISIS.
Scientists looked at images from space to see how fast Antarctica is turning green. Here's what they found
Parts of icy Antarctica are turning green with plant life at an alarming rate as the region is gripped by extreme heat events, according to new research, sparking concerns about the changing landscape on this vast continent.
Suspect in shooting of Toronto cop was out on bail
A 21-year-old man who was charged with attempted murder in the shooting of a Toronto police officer this week was out on bail at the time of the alleged offence, court documents obtained by CTV News Toronto show.
A 6-year-old girl was kidnapped in Arkansas in 1995. Almost 30 years later, a suspect was identified
Nearly 30 years after a six-year-old girl disappeared in Western Arkansas, authorities have identified a suspect in her abduction through DNA evidence.
A Michigan man is charged with killing and dismembering a janitor he met on the Grindr dating app
Prosecutors have charged a Michigan man with killing and dismembering a janitor he met on the dating app Grindr.
NEW Youth pleads guilty to manslaughter in death of P.E.I. teen Tyson MacDonald
A teen charged with the murder of another teen on Prince Edward Island last year has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.
Haitian gang kills at least 70 people, including 3 infants, UN says
Armed men belonging to the Gran Grif gang killed at least 70 people, including three infants, as they swept through a Haitian town shooting automatic rifles at residents, a spokesperson for the United Nations' Human Rights Office said on Friday.
DEVELOPING 2 dead after fire rips through historic building in Old Montreal
At least two people are dead and others are injured after a fire ripped through a century-old building near Montreal's City Hall, sources told Noovo Info.