Convincing New Scam Targeting Drivers in Brampton

Published March 21, 2019 at 8:34 pm

With tax time looming, Canadians are being warned to beware of convincing—and often frightening—CRA scams, but not everyone realizes that more local scams are also important to avoid.

With tax time looming, Canadians are being warned to beware of convincing—and often frightening—CRA scams, but not everyone realizes that more local scams are also important to avoid.

Now, the City of Brampton is warning residents to be vigilant about a potential phishing scam involving parking penalties.

According to the city, some residents have reported receiving emails about outstanding parking penalty payments. The email in question is reportedly being sent from an email ID purporting to be the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO).

The city says it has flagged this to the MTO.

“Residents should note that when the City of Brampton issues a parking penalty notice, the options for payment and/or to schedule a review are listed on the back of the penalty notice,” the city said in a news release. “As a practice, the City of Brampton does not call, text or email the public regarding penalty payments.”

In the event that a penalty notice payment is overdue, the city will send a letter to the registered owner of the vehicle via Canada Post.

Residents who receive messages that appear to be from the MTO can contact them directly by email at [email protected].

Suspicious emails can also be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) through the Fraud Reporting System (FRS).

For general inquiries about parking tickets issued by the City of Brampton, residents can call Service Brampton at 311.

For more information on paying parking penalties in Brampton, click here.

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