14 hours Ago By Forrest McFarland
DRIVERS are being warned to take a close look at the fine print on tickets after one vehicle owner found a $452 violation on their car. The driver could've lost some serious cash if they didn't investigate the parking ticket closely. The driver found a large yellow ticket for a supposed violation of blocking a cross-hatched area in a parking lot.
These areas are normally reserved for fire trucks - or for handicapped people to have room to unload their wheelchairs. Everything about the ticket seems believable until you get to the text at the bottom. There, drivers are asked to follow a URL based on their violation and "donate an amount you think is appropriate.
" read more The tickets read, "Please include the serial number at the top of this notice as part of your first name on the donation." The tickets were exposed by the San Diego Police Department, which warned of a popular scam targeting unsuspecting drivers. Cops blasted the fraudulent tickets and reminded drivers that they would never ask for donations in lieu of a parking citation.
The department also issued an eerie warning that more fake tickets could be out there and urged drivers to report them if found. Most read in Motors San Diego has been a hotbed for fraud but officials are working overtime to try and keep locals out of danger. In September, the City of San Diego warned that fake QR codes were being placed on parking meters to trick drivers into paying scammers.
Nearly 150 meters were targeted in southern California cities, but no one in San Diego fell prey to the trick, NBC affiliate KNSD reported. Drivers in Atlanta, Georgia, have also started to notice parking scams. One woman said she got a $75 ticket even though she was parked legally.
After she took a look around, she realized nearly every other car around her was handed a fine. “Someone gave me a ticket while I was parked legally,” she told Atlanta News First . San Diego cops have warned the public about fake tickets being plastered on cars.
They shared the following statement on social media. "The San Diego Police Department was recently made aware of fraudulent parking tickets being placed on vehicles. The ticket asks the registered owner of the vehicle in “violation” to make a monetary donation to several different organizations.
"The picture above is a recent ticket that was brought to our attention. There maybe other fraudulent tickets out there besides the one pictured. "PLEASE BE AWARE THE SAN DIEGO POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL NEVER ASK FOR A MONETARY DONATION IN LIEU OF A PARKING CITATION.
"If you see anyone place a ticket similar to the one pictured and it is not a San Diego Police-issued parking citation and it was not issued by a uniformed Police Officer or a uniformed San Diego Parking Enforcement Officer, please call the San Diego Police Department at 619-531-2000." Cops said the tickets were fake and warned that scammers often target areas heavily populated by tourists. "Our citations are always issued on-street and never in a parking lot or garage," the ATLPlus website reads.
"If a fraudulent parking citation is suspected, citizens should contact 311 or 911 to file a police report," the Atlanta Police Department wrote. Read More on The US Sun Another driver said the easy way to pay for tickets should always be avoided. And a "parking ticket buster" was hired to fight the scams .
Thieves sometimes go to great lengths to squeeze money from drivers With parking ticket scams on the rise, it's important to know how to tell the difference between a bogus ticket and a legitimate one. Many parking enforcement agencies, like those employed by cities, will never ask people to pay for their tickets via apps like Venmo, PayPal, or Zelle. A QR code should always make drivers cautious, as many times they lead to fake payment websites built by scammers to access banking or personal information.
It's also wise to pay close attention to logos, as some scammers will even use fake logos close enough to a city's official logo fooling those who don't look closely. Emails or text messages regarding parking citations should always be ignored, as most parking enforcement agencies will never use those mediums to collect a debt. Other helpful tips for spotting false citations: Do some research on the lot you're parking in, as signs are legally required to be posted to inform drivers on who is enforcing parking rules.
Carefully examine the citation for any flaws - misspellings, incorrect logos, links, QR codes, etc. Evaluate the contact information on the ticket. Websites that belong to cities will always end in either .
gov. Finally, pay with a card, as disputing an illegal charge is easier. Avoid mailing checks or cash to a suspect parking ticket.
Look at a city's ticketing database to double-check that you've been cited by an official. Source: CBS affiliate WHNT.
