Fake Parking Tickets is Now the New Money Stealing Scam in Texas

(Houston, Texas) - Scammers are always wanting to steal your money and/or your personal information. They will do it by any means necessary, too. They'll send an email with malware attached or make a threatening phone call or whatever other sneaky method they come up with.

We have to be vigilant and not jump to conclusions when contacted by a scammer. It doesn't matter how official or legitimate it sounds or looks, reach out to make sure whatever it is you got is the real thing. The newest, and sneakiest, way scammers are stealing is by issuing fake parking tickets in Houston.

Fake Parking Tickets is Now the New Money Stealing Scam in Texas

City officials in Houston are letting residents know that scammers are putting fake parking tickets on vehicles that have parked downtown (KHOU). The tickets look very real, too. A picture of one of the fake tickets was shared on social media by the city:

The biggest giveaway the ticket is a fake is the use of a QR code. The city does not do that to pay the fine. Also, legitimate tickets will be on pink paper, not white, like the scam tickets are.

Get our free mobile app

Fake Parking Tickets are Scamming Houstonians Out of Their Money

Other details about the fake tickets are listed below:

• Printed on white paper instead of the legitimate pink NCR paper
• Lack of violation codes and/or payment instructions on the back
• QR codes for payment. The city does not use that to pay the fine
• No violation date, time, and location or the enforcement agent's name and badge number on the ticket

If you get one of these tickets, you are advised to not pay using the QR code, go to houstontx.gov/parking/ to enter the citation number to make sure it's real and report it to Houston police. We're in East Texas, a long way from Houston, I get it, but there are many of us who travel there. The scammer isn't going to know you're not from Houston.

The Newest Scam Going Around is Fake Parking Tickets

Even with this warning, there will be some people who fall for it and pay the money. This will allow scammers to continue using this method and could use it in East Texas at some point. Don't act on emotion when you get something like this. Contact the proper people to get it all figured out.

READ MORE: Caldwell Zoo Mourns the Loss of Zoo Favorite Giraffe Marjani

READ MORE: The Number of Dogs You Can Own In Texas. Yes, There is a Legal Limit