Text messages sent to residents of the city of Boston about unpaid parking fees are a scam, police said in a warning issued Saturday evening.
“Please be advised that these messages were NOT sent by the City of Boston,” the Boston Police Department wrote.
In the message received by a NewsCenter 5 employee, a phone number with an area code associated with Montreal sent an image that used the city’s logo. The text in the image said their vehicle had an unpaid parking fee and that it must be paid to avoid late fees.
Finally, the fraudulent message instructs victims to visit a .com website to pay their bill. We have blurred that web address to prevent spreading it further.
Official city websites use a .gov suffix, including the page explaining how to pay real parking fines.
“If you or someone you know has been victimized by this type of crime, please report the incident to the Boston Police Department,” police said.
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