Officers in the Council’s Parking Services Team have confirmed the county is being targeted after receiving calls from motorists about the scam.

The messages falsely claim to be from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), stating the recipient has an outstanding parking fine and directing them to an official-looking website to enter personal details and make a payment.

The messages give no details about the ‘offence’, such as when or where it happened or who issued the fine.

In reality, this is a scam designed to steal money from unsuspecting members of the public. In one recent case, a motorist who paid the false £20 fine later had an attempt made to take £400 from their account.

Local authorities will never issue texts about parking fines, and any official communication will always include details on how to pay and how to appeal.

Herefordshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Roads and Regulatory Services, Cllr Barry Durkin, said: 

“Herefordshire Council is committed to keeping residents safe from this type of scam and thanks members of the public for their continued vigilance. Our Parking Services Team will continue to actively raise awareness to help prevent people from being caught out by scams like these.”

“Please remember that no local or national organisation will send text messages demanding payment for parking fines. If you do receive one of these texts, the guidance is not to click on any links, to delete the message, and then delete it from your device’s ‘bin’.

“If you have clicked on a link and entered your card details, please freeze your card immediately, contact the fraud team at your bank, and follow their advice.”

To find out more about scams and how to protect yourself against them, visit Herefordshire Council’s Trading Standards scam awareness web pages.