RCMP from various Alberta detachments are warning the public about a scam that emails people about an alleged driving violation. It’s also been reported in other provinces.
Both Red Deer and Fort Saskatchewan RCMP said they’d received complaints about the phishing scam. The Red Deer detachment alone fielded 11 calls Thursday morning from people who received the emails. None fell victim to it, but some reported getting as many as five email messages.
Mounties say drivers are sent an email that states they’ve committed a driving offence and a fine will be mailed to them. The email says the driver can check the fine ahead of time by clicking on a link.
The link is “believed to contain a virus and or redirect the user to a phishing page designed to solicit personal information from the user for criminal purposes such as identity theft,” Fort Saskatchewan RCMP said in a news release.
“As with any unexpected demand for money, recipients need to examine it closely and ask themselves questions about the legitimacy of the claim, including who it’s coming from,” Const. Derek Turner of the Red Deer RCMP said. “The City of Red Deer and the RCMP do not email parking or traffic tickets to citizens. Delete these emails, and whatever you do, do not click on the links in them.”
An example of the fraudulent email – which comes in a variety of forms – is:
RCMP are reminding drivers that authentic mailed violation tickets can be paid online at www.finepayment.gov.ab.ca and that the province does not email violation tickets or notices for them.
In Red Deer, photo radar tickets are sent to drivers through the mail and include details of the infraction, photographs, clear information about methods of payment and timelines, and always include contact phone numbers.
At least one driver in Edmonton reported receiving the email scam as well.
The scam emails have not been claimed to be from any recognized organization, Red Deer RCMP said.