Rutland County Council Issues Warning: Beware of Parking Fine Text Scams

Rutland County Council Issues Warning: Beware of Parking Fine Text Scams

Rutland County Council is urging residents to be vigilant against a new wave of scam text messages falsely claiming outstanding parking charges. The Council has confirmed it does not use text messages to notify individuals about parking fines and advises anyone receiving such a message to delete it immediately.

The fraudulent texts typically request payment for alleged parking violations, often including a link or instructions to remit funds. Rutland County Council emphasises that these messages are not legitimate and are designed to trick recipients into revealing personal financial information or making fraudulent payments.

A spokesperson for Rutland County Council stated, "We want to make it absolutely clear to our residents that Rutland County Council does not issue parking fine notifications via text message. If you receive a text on your mobile phone claiming to be from us and demanding payment for a parking fine, it is a scam. Do not respond to it, do not click on any links, and delete it straight away."

The Council's official procedures for parking enforcement involve issuing physical penalty charge notices (PCNs) or, in some cases, postal notifications for more serious violations. They will never contact individuals about parking fines through unsolicited text messages.

Residents are reminded to exercise caution when receiving any unexpected messages, particularly those requesting personal information or financial transactions. If there is any doubt about the authenticity of a message purporting to be from Rutland County Council, residents are encouraged to contact the Council directly through their official channels, such as their website or main telephone number, to verify the information.

www.rutland.gov.uk

Key takeaways for Rutland residents:

Rutland County Council DOES NOT use text messages for parking fines.

Any text message claiming to be from Rutland County Council asking for parking fine payment is a scam.

Do NOT respond to these messages.

Do NOT click on any links within these messages.

Delete the text message immediately.

If you are unsure about the legitimacy of any communication, always contact Rutland County Council through their official website or published telephone numbers.