Damian V. visited beaches in Santa Cruz, California, and issued “parking tickets.”
The problem was that Damian was a 19-year-old who didn’t work for the government.
And he’s not a police officer, nor is he a ticket writer…
He’s a scammer.
Damian made fake parking tickets and put them on cars parked near the beach.
The fake tickets had a QR code so that people could scan the code to pay the citation amount.
The QR code took victims to a website set up by Damian to pay the fine.
Police eventually arrested Damian and charged him with unlawful use of a computer and fraud.
At the time of his arrest, investigators were unsure how many fake parking tickets Damian put on cars or how many victims paid the bogus fine.
Over the past few years, parking ticket scams have popped up all over the country from New York to California.
Because it doesn’t take as much effort to create a fake parking ticket as you might expect.
The advancements in printer technology have made it easy for scammers to print citations that appear real.
Plus, the majority of people who receive a parking ticket want to pay it right away and get on with their day, and won’t take the time to fight the ticket in court.
Considering this, here are a few ways to spot a fake parking ticket before you pay the fine.
Don’t use the QR code:
QR codes are easy to fake, and there’s no way to tell if the QR code is real or not just by looking at it.
Instead of using a QR code to pay the ticket, take the time to go to the website of the department that issued the ticket.
If you have the option to pay online there is usually a place where you can enter the ticket number.
This means that if the ticket is valid, you will be able to pay it on the actual website.
But if the ticket is a fake it won’t show up.
So, go to the website and search it on your own, don’t waste time with the QR code.
Realistic fines:
Next, if you receive a parking ticket one of the first things you should do is look at the amount of the fine.
Of course, the amount of the fine will vary from city to city and depend on the violation.
But most cities have parking fines of around $100.
So, if you get a parking ticket with a ridiculously high fine amount, it’s probably fake.
On the other hand, if the ticket is super low, say $10, it could be another sign that the scammer hopes the ticket gets paid since it’s not worth the hassle.
Pay attention to the fine amount and question it if it sounds either too high or low.
Contact the authority:
Big cities have parking authority departments that usually have an office where you can physically go to pay the ticket.
Even if you don’t want to go there, you can search for the parking department online and call them.
Don’t call the number on the ticket as this could lead you to call the scammer.
Instead, do an online search and find the number to call.
Also, look at the ticket to see if there are directions on how to dispute a ticket.
Most scammers won’t take the time to include the “fine print” or instructions on how to fight the ticket.
However, legitimate departments will often explain your legal options.
So, check the format of the ticket to see if it has all the details you would expect on a citation.
Scammers are getting cleverer with each new con, so if you receive a parking ticket take the time to make sure it’s real.
