The Boston Police Department is warning residents about an increase in scams involving fake parking violation notices. These fraudulent notices are designed to appear as official government documents and may closely resemble legitimate correspondence from the City of Boston or local courts.
What to look out for:
Fraudulent notices may include a case number, a judge’s name and signature, a court address, a hearing date, an official-looking government seal, and a QR code or payment link. Residents should be cautious of any unsolicited parking-related notice that requests payment, especially if it includes a QR code.
Do not scan any QR codes or submit any payment based on an unsolicited notice without first verifying it through official channels.
How to verify a legitimate parking violation:
Visit the City of Boston’s official parking page to confirm whether a notice is legitimate before taking any action: [How To Pay A Parking Ticket]
Report it:
If you have received a fraudulent notice or have been victimized, please report it to the Boston Police Department. For emergencies or active criminal activity, call 9-1-1.
Community members wishing to provide information anonymously may do so via the CrimeStoppers Tip Line:
📞 By Phone: 1-800-494-TIPS
💬 By Text: Text the word “TIP” to CRIME (27463)
🌐 Online: Submit a tip via Boston Police CrimeStoppers
Photos and videos related to this investigation may also be submitted anonymously. The Boston Police Department will strictly safeguard the identities of those who wish to provide information confidentially.