Detroit’s Municipal Parking Department is warning drivers about scam text messages demanding payment for unpaid parking invoices. Officials stress that while the texts appear legitimate, they are not from the city of Detroit.
Legitimate notices of unpaid parking fees are sent only via mail, never through text messages, according to a news release from the department. The scam texts use the web address detroit-mi.com, which closely mimics the city’s official website, detroitmi.gov.
The phone number used in the scams does not originate from the Detroit area and appears to be from an area code that is not based in Michigan. The fraudulent messages also include graphics from the city’s official parking app, Park Detroit, to further deceive recipients.
An example of the fake text messages can be seen below:
City officials are urging residents to remain vigilant and to avoid clicking links or sharing personal information with suspicious contacts.
“Motorists, who receive this text message or any similar message, should ignore the message and delete it,” according to the city.
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In the release, the Detroit Department of Innovation and Technology also offered drivers the following tips to avoid being scammed:
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Nour Rahal is a trending and breaking news reporter. Email her: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @nrahal1.

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