A local council has warned residents to ignore text messages from a spoofed Gov number that is asking them to pay £20 in parking fines.
Amber Valley Borough Council says people in its area have been flooded by messages on Facebook and even via SMS. The messages are spoofed and appear to be from a government number.
They contain a fake parking fine notice and ask users to pay £20 for the penalty charge notice. A spokesperson for Amber Valley Borough Council said: “We have had a few phone calls this morning to alert us about a scam operating in our area.
What to do if you have been scammed.
Below is some information from Action Fraud about what you should do if you fell victim to the parking fine scam or any other scam.
Phone scammers will call you unsolicited, pretending to be from an organisation you trust, such as your bank or the police.
These scam calls may be automated or from a real person. They may ask you for your personal information like banking details, or tell you you need to transfer money.
If you’ve lost money or have been hacked as a result of responding to a call, you should report it:
- In England, Wales or Northern Ireland, report it to Action Fraud online or by calling 0300 123 2040.
