SAN DIEGO — The City of San Diego is warning visitors and residents of an ongoing phishing scam through SMS text messages from a number impersonating the city.
According to a press release for the City of San Diego, the recipients are notified of phony parking tickets with instructions to click a link to pay the balance online.
“This is a notice from City of San Diego,” the message reads. “Your vehicle has an unpaid parking invoice of $4.35. To avoid a late fees of 35$, please settle your balance promptly. To avoid disconnection, please make a payment immediately by typing the link in your browser.”
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The recipient is then provided with a link where they can pay a “parking invoice” to pay the balance online. The city urged recipients not to follow the link and avoid providing credit card or payment information.
Instead, the city says people can verify and pay for a parking citation safely online at sandiego.gov/parking/citations. Anyone who received the text is advised to visit the City of San Diego website or call the Parking Administration at 866-470-1308.
“The City’s cybersecurity team is working with authorities, including the San Diego Police Department, to take down the fraudulent webpage and identify those responsible,” the press release said.
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