Got a text about a Vancouver parking ticket? It's a scam, city says

An image posted by the City of Vancouver shows a scam text.

The City of Vancouver is warning residents not to click on links or give personal information in response to text messages about overdue parking tickets claiming to be from the city.

"We have been notified of a scam targeting people through text messages requesting they pay an overdue parking ticket," the city said on its municipal Twitter account Wednesday.

"This is not the city, we do not notify the public of fines through texting, media or social media."

The only means the city uses to collect parking-related fines are tickets placed on vehicles or mailed to their registered owners, according to the city's website.

The city advised recipients to report the fraudulent messages to their cellphone providers and then delete them.

Vancouver is far from the only government entity scammers have impersonated in an attempt to gain access to money and personal information.

Within days of the announcement that ICBC would be offering drivers a one-time payment aimed at lightening the burden of high gas prices, fraudsters had already begun sending scam texts claiming rebates were available. 

Likewise, RCMP detachments and municipal police departments across B.C. have warned of scammers "spoofing" their phone numbers and attempting to convince people to pay supposed fines, often demanding payment in cryptocurrency.