Multiple California Police Warn Fake Parking Ticket Scams

Police departments in Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, and Missouri are warning the public about scams involving fraudulent parking tickets and traffic fines. Santa Barbara authorities clarified they do not send text messages about unpaid parking citations and advised residents not to click on any suspicious links. In Santa Cruz, fake parking tickets featuring QR codes that direct victims to scam payment websites have been repeatedly found in beach and downtown areas, prompting police to urge recipients to carefully review the fine print and report suspicious tickets to local authorities. This scam has persisted for multiple years, and authorities remain uncertain about the total number of victims or payments made. Missouri officials similarly cautioned against text messages claiming owed traffic fines, emphasizing that their department does not collect payments electronically and advising the public to delete such messages without responding. Across these regions, the consistent advice is to verify ticket legitimacy through official channels and avoid engaging with unsolicited payment requests.