Run a Red Light Lately? – Ticket Scam!
Monday, September 19, 2011 7:28While doing research on a different security topic, I ran across a new type of scam that most people probably have not heard of. The “red light camera scam” goes something like this:
Someone emails or calls claiming to be from a law enforcement agency such as the state police, department of public safety, or city police department, stating that you have an overdue traffic camera ticket. The person requests that you pay the ticket now or they will have to issue a warrant for your arrest.
The scammer will usually request that the ticket be paid via credit card, debit card, or by giving your bank account information. They will also try to extract other personal information including social security numbers. According to government officials, however, in the case of traffic violations of any type, no one will contact you via email or phone to remind you that you owe a fine.
Obviously then, law enforcement departments will not contact you regarding a red light traffic violation. Also, if you have actually run a red light and have been caught doing so, you will receive a notice in the mail along with a picture that shows you running the red light. Unless you receive the notice of violation along with proof of the violation, never give personal information over the phone and report any such attempts to make you pay a fine to your local police department.
Currently, I have read about these scams occurring in Texas, Maryland and California, but with red light cameras being used in many cities and municipalities, this type of scam could happen to anyone. It is not even necessary for you to have run a red light and actually received a ticket related to a red light camera to be solicited by the scammer.
This scam is successful because most people are intimidated when they come in contact with a law enforcement officer and are afraid of actually being arrested. Scammers are hoping that they can play on a person’s natural nervousness around law enforcement, their fears of being arrested, and the fact that they are not thinking straight because of their fears.
Be aware and suspicious of phone calls or emails that press you for immediate action or try and intimidate you into doing something. All scams have one of those two elements woven into them.
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Sara S. says:
September 21st, 2011 at 6:56 PM
There is another type of red light camera scam known as “snitch” tickets which notices issued by the police department in an attempt to get people to give up information on who was driving the vehicle in the red light camera photographs. You’ll know it’s a snitch ticket if it 1) doesn’t have courthouse information on it, 2) doesn’t have an amount owed or a due date, or 3) says something like “do not contact the courts about this”.
They are not real tickets filed with the courts and there are no repercussions for not responding to them. Check out http://www.ticketkick.com/snitch-ticket/ for more info on snitch tickets and how they compare to real red light camera tickets.
Sean says:
September 22nd, 2011 at 9:15 AM
I have read about snitch tickets also, thanks for the update. It is funny in a way, scams don’t always come from the criminals – sometimes it is from the government itself!