San Diegans, take note, there's a new scam in town and it involves parking tickets—or more precisely, fake ones. According to a report by FOX 5 San Diego, scammers are placing dubious parking violation notices on cars, masquerading as official citations these fraudsters are clever, utilizing the resemblance of authenticity to deceive the unsuspecting motorist yet they slip up with asks for donations instead of fines, tipping off a ruse.
Detailing the scam, the San Diego Police have taken to social media to alert the public, describing how these notices may ask for donations to reputable organizations such as the San Diego Police Foundation or San Diego Regional Fire Foundation, in what is a clear departure from actual penalty protocol, the San Diego Police Department stated "Please be aware the San Diego Police Department will never ask for a monetary donation in lieu of a parking citation," as seen in a recent post that can be viewed on their social media platform.
🚨🚨COMMUNITY AWARENESS REGARDING FRAUDULENT PARKING TICKETS🚨🚨
— San Diego Police Department (@SanDiegoPD) December 17, 2024
The San Diego Police Department was recently made aware of fraudulent parking tickets being placed on vehicles.
If you encounter one of these suspicious tickets, the police department urges you to report it immediately by contacting them at 619-531-2000. Various versions of these fraudulent notices could be floating around the city. Moreover, earlier scams targeted payment stickers for street parking meters, proving that vigilance remains essential when it comes to parking in San Diego.
The Better Business Bureau advocates for attentive scrutiny of parking spots and their regulations, especially when visiting new locales; legibly inspect any received citations for potential red flags, and if there's an instruction to write a check, make sure it's addressed to a governmental entity and not an individual, and using a credit card for parking-related expenses is advised as it's easier to deal with fraudulent charges than with other payment methods according to a FOX 5 San Diego article.
