Parking tickets are headache enough, but now fake ones seem to be making the rounds, according to the Better Business Bureau.
It happens when you park in a legal parking zone or at a paid meter on the street or in a garage, according to reports the BBB has gotten from around the country.
Once you’ve paid with cash or credit card and left your car in its space, scammers are using a “high-tech,” hand-held printer to make a bogus ticket and leave it on your windshield.
You are told to pay online or through PayPal, although one recent case involved a QR code that directed drivers to a fake payment website.
If you follow the instructions, you will not only pay a fine that you don’t owe, but you’ll be handing over your personal information.
One motorist filed this report with the BBB: “I paid $15 to park in a garage and received a receipt for it, which I displayed on my dashboard. However, I then received a violation notice for $56 for the parking receipt not being visible on the dashboard.”
Another version of this scam comes with an email that accuses you of having a pending parking ticket. The message often looks official and threatens “dire circumstances” if a payment isn’t made, the BBB says.
Clicking on links in this kind of email can download malware onto your computer.
A few things to keep in mind, especially while traveling, because out-of-state license…
