Warning issued over parking ticket text scam

The council said they only issue parking fines directly on vehicles or by post

Motorists in East Yorkshire are being urged to watch out for a scam asking people to pay non-existent parking fines.

Fake text messages are being sent from scammers claiming to be the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).

The texts state the person is liable for a parking penalty charge and threatens they may be banned from driving, have to pay a larger fine or be taken to court.

East Riding of Yorkshire councillor Paul West said: “I would urge anyone who receives these text messages to ignore them and delete them or report them straight away.”

The authority said it had received more than 100 calls from worried residents.

The wording of the messages had become more threatening in nature in the past few days, the council said.

“East Riding of Yorkshire Council never sends people text messages about parking fines – this is a cruel scam," West said.

The council said they only issued parking fines directly on vehicles or by post.

The DVSA has asked people to report the scam to the National Cyber Security Centre.

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