Parking ticket scam involves real-looking phony text message
Statement from Alderman Lamont Westmoreland December 30, 2024
Image courtesy of the City of Milwaukee.
A phony text message that looks like it is coming from the City of Milwaukee is likely hitting thousands of phones, and anyone who receives it should delete it or ignore it.
The scam appears to work like this: Recipients receive a text message that looks like it is from the City of Milwaukee saying that the recipient needs to address an overdue parking ticket, and to click to pay to avoid a late fee. Anyone clicking on the link could be opening up their phone/data to Malware or Ransomware.
Anyone who has provided their debit or credit card information should contact their financial institution immediately and report what happened, so their accounts can be locked and protected.
It’s really sad that scammers are resorting to using what appears to be a legit city source to run a scam like this, but it is not surprising.
Please spread the word to your family, friends, and networks about this potentially damaging scam as soon as possible!
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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